Joel Embiid could miss two more due to a sore back but he's expected to play on Christmas Day against the Knicks.

Embiid sat out back-to-back losses to Chicago and Sacramento in recent days. Embiid played a career high 49 minutes in their triple overtime loss to the Thunder on Friday.

Philadelphia has now lost seven of their past eight games. The 76ers have lost six of seven games without Embiid in the lineup.

Joel Embiid and Sam Hinkie continue to communicate occasionally even though the former general manager was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers nearly two years ago.

"Yeah, we text sometimes," said Embiid. "We talk to each other sometimes. I mean, that’s the guy that drafted me, and he made sure he put everything in place so I could get healthy. And I got healthy and I got back on the court. And I feel like he basically kind of lost his job because of me, because I missed two years. So I feel like I owe him a lot. Yeah, we talk. We talk sometimes."

Embiid has embraced the moniker of "The Process" that has come to be associated with Hinkie's tenure with the 76ers.

Embiid is expected to be an All-Star this season if he remains healthy.

Joel Embiid sat out Sunday's game against the Pelicans due to back soreness.

Embiid also missed Saturday's game against the Cavaliers because he's yet to been cleared to play on consecutive nights.

Embiid has now missed five games this season.

Markelle Fultz is no longer experiencing soreness in his right shoulder and will be evaluated again in three weeks.

The Sixers said Fultz will ramp up his basketball activities in the interim.

Fultz has played in just four games this season and was shut down on Oct. 29th after he played in several games with obvious discomfort in his shoulder.

Fultz's shooting woes have been underscored by an altered shooting motion that has made some wonder whether the shooting tweak led to the shoulder injury or the shoulder injury forced him to change his shot.

The Philadelphia 76ers are nearing an agreement to trade Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas and the New York Knicks' 2019 second round pick to the Brooklyn Nets and Trevor Booker.

Brooklyn will release Sean Kilpatrick to create a roster spot for Okafor and Stauskas.

The Nets have now acquired two of the top-3 picks of the 2015 draft in Okafor and D'Angelo Russell.

Markelle Fultz has returned to the Philadelphia 76ers from rehabbing his injured right shoulder in Kentucky. Fultz, however, will remain out.

Fultz received physical therapy for soreness and scapular muscle imbalance with Dr. Ben Kibler, Medical Director of the Shoulder Center of Kentucky at the Lexington Clinic. 

Brett Brown described Fultz’s basketball activity at the Sixers’ training complex on Wednesday as “minimal.”

“We are just happy to have him back,” Brown said after practice. “I felt like I haven't seen him in a long time.”

Fultz has missed the past 19 games.

Joel Embiid signed a five-year, $146 million extension with the Philadelphia 76ers in October, which could increase to $178 million if he earns first-team All-NBA honors this season.

Embiid has an outside shot at making the team due to his strong play combined with Rudy Gobert's injury and Anthony Davis playing power forward. DeMarcus Cousins is currently considered Embiid's toughest competition for the spot.

The 76ers would lose $5 million in cap space next season (and future seasons) with the Embiid cap hit increasing.

Embiid currently has played 532 minutes (29.6 per game) in the 18 games played.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma today were named the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in October and November. 

Simmons led all rookies in scoring (18.6 ppg), rebounding (9.4 rpg) and steals (2.25 spg) and tied for the lead in assists (7.2 apg) in 20 games during October and November.  The 6-10 guard/forward also shot 50.7 percent from the field, the second-highest mark among first-year players.  He recorded two triple-doubles in his first nine career games, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to accomplish the feat.  On Nov. 29, Simmons recorded career highs of 31 points and 18 rebounds as Philadelphia defeated the Washington Wizards 118-113.  The Australian native helped the 76ers close November with a 12-9 record.  

Kuzma paced Western Conference rookies in scoring (16.7 ppg) and field goal percentage (50.4).  He ranked second among West rookies in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and third in three-point field goal percentage (37.9).  The 6-9 forward scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games.  On Nov. 17, Kuzma scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 122-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first Lakers rookie to reach those totals in a game since Magic Johnson in the 1979-80 season.  In 11 starts for Los Angeles (8-13), Kuzma averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds.