Daryl Morey defends Joel Embiid extension, says he believes in star’s knee and Sixers’ roster

The question had lingered for so long that somebody almost forgot to ask it.

Daryl Morey spent 30 minutes talking to reporters on Friday afternoon, many of them devoted to Joel Embiid’s left knee, an issue that has been the organization’s most pressing for more than a year now. The Sixers president expressed a surprising degree of optimism that the recurring soreness and swelling in the joint was something that Embiid would eventually move past. He reiterated his belief that Embiid was, is and will continue to be one of those rare “top 5″ players who can serve as the centerpiece of a championship team.

While acknowledging that the Sixers had not anticipated that Embiid’s knee issue would linger this long, Morey said he has heard nothing from his medical experts that suggest it will be a forever sort of thing.

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Still, you can’t help but wonder. Knowing what the Sixers know now, do they have any second thoughts about that contract extension they gave Embiid in late September?

“We thought it was the right move at the time, we think it is the right move now,” Morey said. “Again, just with NBA history coming involved here, you don’t win without one of these special players. You don’t get to add a Paul George unless he knows they are going to be together for the long term. The feedback that we got from so many medical staff is that this is something that is manageable and over time should have improved. So, we thought it was the right decision.”

At this point, the Sixers can do little else except hope they were and are correct. It has now been more than a year since Embiid injured his left knee in a game against the Warriors. It has been more than 10 months since he returned from his postoperative absence to close out the regular season, play a postseason series, and then win Olympic gold. Yet Embiid has played just 14 games this season, which sees the Sixers sitting outside the playoffs at 20-30.

In a lot of ways, the extension was the prime mover of this unprecedentedly disappointing season. The timing of it served to both set misplaced expectations and cast a pall over the team’s failure to reach them.

Embiid’s nine-game absence to start the season felt particularly devastating given that it came less than a month after the Sixers had agreed to tack on a couple of extra guaranteed years to the big man’s contract. At the time of the deal, which now pays him through the 2028-29 season, Embiid’s knee seemed like last year’s issue. After a brief scare during the Sixers’ first-round loss to the Knicks, the 30-year-old former MVP started five of six of Team USA’s Olympic victories en route to the tournament’s gold medal.

There was little hint of anything amiss until training camp broke with Embiid still limited in practice.

All of which made the ensuing three months feel so mysteriously damning.

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“There have been those times where sincerely — Joel himself, medical staff — he looks very much on the way toward playing,” Morey said on Friday. “And then primarily, his injury is one where you’re managing his symptoms, swelling and pain. When those things happen, it’s best for him to sit out. I know that Joel is doing everything he can and fighting to be out there as much as possible … If he’s not out there, it’s because his symptoms aren’t allowing him to be out there.”

Morey acknowledged fans’ frustrations with what they often perceive as obfuscation from the Sixers with regard to injuries. But he insisted that the flow of information from the team is largely a product of the uncertain nature of the injury.

“It often looks like, yes, he’s about to play, and then he doesn’t,” Morey said. “That’s just because we’re managing symptoms. On this injury that he had last February and had the procedure on, it’s one that you manage symptoms. We’re optimistic long term, talking to the doctors.

“Our understanding from talking with multiple experts — I think we’re at seven, eight, nine, 10 of the top people in the world at this point — [they] all see this as [an injury] that over time will improve. But it’s happened slower than anyone’s anticipated. But we love how Joel’s fighting.”

It’s unclear how the Sixers factored Embiid’s health into their trade deadline calculations. They could not have looked to move him even if they wanted to. Players who sign extensions such as his cannot be traded for six months. While George’s name popped up in a handful of thinly sourced rumors, Morey sure sounds like a man who thinks he is pot committed.

“I would say that you look at a lot of these teams that are above us in the standings, that have young players that are improving and playing well right now, they’re all hoping one of their guys becomes a top player in the world — a top-five player in the world — because that is required to win the championship,” Morey said.

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“It doesn’t happen without one of these special players. And so we’re building around Joel, we’ve built around Joel and we’ll continue to plan to build around Joel because he’s the special player that can help us win the championship. We think Paul is a great fit. We think Tyrese [Maxey] is a great fit.”

The uncertainty is unavoidable, though. Morey said the Sixers entered the trade deadline with a desire to inject their bench with more youth and upside. He sounds like he genuinely believes the Sixers accomplished that with the acquisitions of Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler.

» READ MORE: Sixers still have an important area to address

Along with rookie first-round draft pick Jared McCain — an early-season revelation before a season-ending knee injury — and undrafted breakout Justin Edwards, not to mention second-round big man Adem Bona, the Sixers have given coach Nick Nurse an intriguing mix to both deploy and develop.

At the end of the day, though, Embiid’s knee remains the Great Decider.

“We do think there will be a place in the future where the symptoms in that are reduced or go to zero,” Morey said, “but we’re still in the middle of that where we have to manage it, and it’s going to be based on symptoms.”