Ex-Grizzlies star doubts Joel Embiid's real age with Sixers star exploring possibility of radical surgery

Joel Embiid has been plagued by injuries since the start of his NBA career. "The Process" missed his entire rookie season in 2014-15 and has continued to amass injuries all throughout his career. Despite being one of the NBA's best when fit, Embiid value has been questioned due to availability issues, and it appears that things aren't getting improving for the Sixers' franchise player.

The Cameroon-born center has only featured in 19 games for the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Latest reports suggest that after suffering another knee injury, Joel Embiid may have to undergo "radical" procedures to return to his best form. With Embiid closing in on his 31st birthday, many believe this could be the beginning of the end of his prime, and the concerns surrounding his ability to deliver on the big stage have increased exponentially.

With the Sixers facing the possibility of being relegated to lottery team status during their supposed contention window with Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, experts have begun to call for them to just let their stars recuperate rather than trying to save what seems like a lost season. Carmelo Anthony echoed the same on the latest episode of his "7 PM in Brooklyn" podcast but, Rudy Gay retorts, questioning whether Embiid has committed age fraud.

"It might be old age, you know what I'm saying. You never know. You seen his birth certificate?" joked Rudy Gay, while discussing with Carmelo Anthony about the possible reasons as to why Embiid is often injured.

The former Grizzlies wing doubled down on his take, offering no sympathy toward Joel Embiid's plight. Harsh words from a former professional, indeed. With Embiid's history of not being kind toward criticism, this could stir up some potential beef.

Regardless, Embiid is set for another spell on the sidelines, and the Sixers are contemplating their options and whether shutting him down for the rest of the season is a viable option for their future.

The Sixers are 8-11 in games featuring Joel Embiid this season.

While the Sixers have dealt with numerous injuries this season, the fact remains that the team has a losing record with Joel Embiid on the court. This losing record persists even when all of their big stars—Embiid, Maxey and George—share the court. Embiid and George, in particular, have looked far from their best when available to suit up for the team.

The Sixers big three in action against the Toronto Raptors- Source: Getty

What concerns Sixers fans more is that unless they secure a top-six pick in the NBA draft, they lose their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The pick was traded to OKC as a sweetener to pick up Al Horford's contract four years ago. At that point, the management likely didn't forsee the team finding themselves in this position in 2025.

So, will the Sixers shut Joel Embiid down and let him undergo "radical" procedures to his knee, hoping to add a top-six draft to their roster for the upcoming season? Or will they play their big three against injury precautions and push for a Play-in spot in the East?