Joel Embiid to have yet another surgery, sources say

Another year, another occasion for Sixers center Joel Embiid to go under the knife.

According to a report, the star rookie — who was sidelined after 31 games of unbelievable basketball in Philly for a slightly torn meniscus — will “very likely” havesurgery to repair it, ESPN’s Marc Stein confirmed Wednesday.

The thought is that if the surgery happens soon, the same knee surgery Jahlil Okafor had this offseason and recovered from fully, Embiid will not miss any time next season.

However as has been shown from Embiid’s shaky injury history, nothing is ever that simple.

After being selected third overall in the 2014 NBA draft, Embiid famously sat out two seasons after getting two surgeries to repair his broken foot.

His 2016-17 seasonwas a revelation, as he proved to be a 7-foot-2 stretch-five who could protect the rim as good as any NBA center while also scoring at an incredible clip during limited minutes.

If he returns to form and can have any kind of health during his career going forward, the 23-year-old will be a centerpiece for the Sixers for years to come.

Here’s hoping — if the surgery occurs as reported — he has a speedy and setback-free recovery.