Daryl Morey 'hopeful' Joel Embiid can return for playoffs

At Thursday's trade deadline, the 76ers added veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield from the Pacers, bringing needed shooting and floor spacing to Philadelphia's rotation.

That's not the kind of trade a team shutting it down for the year makes. Does that mean the 76ers expect Joel Embiid — who is out after left meniscus surgery and will be re-evaluated in a month — to return for a playoff push?

"We're hopeful," 76ers team president Daryl Morey said Friday, via the Associated Press. "Feedback has been more good than bad since we first heard about what led to his procedure. So, we're hopeful and we're building the team to make it better this year. Obviously, it's not at 100 percent. But with Joel playing at an MVP level, hopefully, he could get back to that. And this is a year that we have a real shot."

Later, he was more direct, admitting the franchise's moves were in anticipation of Embiid returning.

"If the hope wasn't there in Joel, I think it would have changed things dramatically," Morey said. "We're very hopefully. Obviously for sure, it's not 100 percent. It's something that is probably, unfortunately, a good chunk short of 100 percent. But we thought it was the right thing."

Embiid is the reigning NBA MVP and was playing better this season than last, averaging 35.3 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. He's not going to repeat as the award winner because this latest injury — which appeared to happen when the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg going for a loose ball — means he will not play in 65 games this season, the league cutoff for all postseason awards (considering the number of games he will have missed, voters would have taken it into consideration and not given him that award anyway.

There is no official timeline for Embiid to return, but actions speak louder and Philadelphia is acting like they expect him back for a playoff push next to Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris (the 76ers kept Harris at the trade deadline, despite teams calling to see if he was available). Now there is more shooting on the roster waiting for Embiid if and when he does return.