Joel Embiid hoping to play this season

76ers rookie center Joel Embiid told reporters on media day that he's hoping to play this season, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid injured his back while landing awkwardly late last season in college for the Kansas Jayhawks.

General manager Sam Hinkie has not closed the door on the possibility of Embiid playing this season. That said, he remains without a timetable for return.

"I don't know at this point. Right now, he's in Philly and visiting with a variety of our medical professionals and going through tests," Hinkie said.

"He'll get a good baseline and then we'll put together a rehab plan. He's still in a boot. He was shooting threes on one leg in our gym [Monday]. I don't know how it will play out. We'll take an approach without knowing where the finish line is. We want to know how we can be sure to put him in a position to have a long NBA career. However long [rehab] takes will be however long it takes."