Jahlil Okafor is backing up Joel Embiid and both players are on minutes restrictions, but they are looking forward to having the opportunity to share the court together.

“This conversation with Jahlil and Joel is more intelligent and applicable at a later date,” Brett Brown said at practice Friday. “When Jahlil’s minutes start going up and Joel can, then it’s a real conversation. I do think you may see them sooner than even I thought together. But as far as making it a real constant part of a strategy or rotation, it’s beyond too early days.”

Okafor and Nerlens Noel proved to be a bad combination playing together due to their lack of floor spacing.

“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Embiid said. “We played a little bit together today in practice. We’re figuring out how to play with each other. It’s a process and we’ve got trust it.”

“I think once we figure it out, we can really dominate together,” Okafor said. “We were able to flirt with it again today. We accidentally keep ending up on the same team even though Coach keeps telling us to make sure we alternate. But we’re having fun. We’re trying to put some pressure on it because we want to play together.”

Joel Embiid has embraced the nickname "The Process" even if he says it didn't originate with him.

“I don’t think it came from me,” he said. “Fans just started and then I just went along with it.”

Embiid has come to best represent the plan of Sam Hinkie, who guided the Philadelphia 76ers on a multi-year rebuild.

“I went through two surgeries, lost my brother, thought about some stuff I shouldn’t have thought about, so that’s my own process,” Embiid said. “And then the process of going through the rehab and finally getting back on the court and getting the chance to finally play in the league, that’s my process.”

Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career due to foot injuries.

“I think I have my own process,” Embiid said Friday at practice.

Ben Simmons hasn't considered sitting out his entire rookie season after undergoing surgery for a Jones fracture of his fifth metatarsal in training camp.

"First guy I did speak to was KD [Kevin Durant]," Simmons told media before the 76ers' home opener against Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. "He had something similar [and] he just said, 'Listen, get advice from everybody and [you'll] be good.' It's good to reach out to people like that that have gone through it."

Brett Brown said Simmons could return in January but later walked that back.

"I was just getting excited about how soon he might be able to come back," Brown said. "There is so much speculation and dates as a coach you sort of want to hear what you want to hear at a time. I did mention a January hopeful return. That is premature. [...] That is a coach doing a lot more wishing than receiving instruction. So we will play this out. Everything is on track with his rehabilitation."

Simmons doesn't have a return date.

"I'll come back when I'm ready," he said.

"There's no timetable to getting healthy. I'm just working hard to get back and as soon as they tell me I can play, I'll get out there."

The Philadelphia 76ers have exercised their 17-18 team options on the rookie contracts of Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas.

Embiid was the third overall pick in 2014 while Okafor was picked third overall in 2015.

The 76ers acquired Stauskas in a trade in 2015 with the Sacramento Kings.

Last October when Joel Embiid had been ruled out for what would have been his second NBA season, a piece in The Cauldron outlined his rehab and a number of negative headlines followed. Embiid was upset by both the timing (as it was the day before the anniversary of his brother Arthur's death) and the content and he considered quitting the NBA to return to Cameroon.

“I wanted to get away from all this drama,” Embiid recalls, “and stay away.”

Embiid had been in America for four years and lived in four cities.

“I never had a girlfriend before, but back then I had some type of girlfriend." Embiid says. “One day I told her my whole story.”

Embiid's ex-girlfriend encouraged him to continue his career despite the adversity. 

Embiid is engaging and charismatic while also being purposely funny.

“You know how I learned to shoot?” Embiid says. “I watched white people. Just regular white people. They really put their elbow in and finish up top. You can find videos of them online.”

Embiid grew up in an upper middle class home in Cameroon and his mother drove a Mercedes.

“I was a little soft,” Embiid says, “but the Americans had no idea about any of that. They just knew I was from Africa. They thought I grew up poor, in the jungle, killing lions. I was like, If that’s how they think of me, I’m going to use it.”

“Joel is a maverick,” Brett Brown says. “He’s curious. He’s competitive. Those qualities are going to allow him to maximize his very evident gifts. But when he was out, those qualities sometimes made it a challenge to always walk that Boy Scout’s line.” 

Embiid remains loyal to Sam Hinkie, who stepped down as general manager of the 76ers in April. Embiid channels Hinkie every time he references The Process.

“I think a lot about what I went through and how it prepared me to be a better man,” Embiid says. “I really feel like I’m The Process, like The Process is about me.”

The Philadelphia 76ers have have signed Dionte Christmas.

Christmas originally signed with Sixers back on Sept. 28, 2009 before being released on Oct. 21 of that year.

Christmas last played in the NBA during the 13-14 season with the Phoenix Suns.

Christmas last played professionally in Turkey.

Nerlens Noel is expected to miss three to five weeks with his surgery on his left knee.

Noel's surgery will address an inflamed plica above his left knee.

Dr. Riley Williams will scope the area during a 10-minute procedure.

Noel's only game action this preseason came in the Oct. 4 opener against Boston at the University of Massachusetts.  He finished that game with six points on 3-for-8 shooting. Noel also finished with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Noel will be a restricted free agent in 2017.

The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to be engaged in trade talks involving Tyus Jones.

The Wolves have received interest on Jones from the Philadelphia 76ers amongst other teams.

Jones grew up in the Minnesota area and was the 24th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft but he's behind Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn on their depth chart at point guard.

Jones was also named the 2016 Summer League MVP.

During the normal course of evaluation and treatment for his left adductor strain, which was identified on October 6, Nerlens Noel reported localized soreness in his left knee.

After consulting with multiple specialists, the source of the soreness was identified as inflamed plica. Noel has elected to address the injury via a minor surgical procedure in the coming days.

Noel will be a restricted free agent in the offseason.

Elton Brand has announced he plans on retiring from the NBA with the conclusion of the preseason.

Brand announced his retirement in 2015 but was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers in January of 2016 to give the franchise a veteran presence. 

Brand was the top overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 1999 and enjoyed his best seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.