By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers officially agreed to a five-year $148 million deal with Joel Embiid and now the coveted big man could see his first preseason action on Wednesday, when the Sixers visit Brooklyn for a match-up with the Nets.
Embiid probable to play tomorrow. Fultz (right knee soreness) doubtful.
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) October 10, 2017
It makes you wonder if Embiid was healthy all along and that his contract extension was really what was holding him back. As of now, there's no official correlation
Joel Embiid hasn't played since January after needing surgery to repair a meniscus tear. The 7-foot-1 native of Cameroon, fresh off his new contract, has been building up his rehab and participated in full five-on-five at practice over the last week. The Sixers were aiming for his return to be on Opening Night next week against Washington, but it looks like he'll get the opportunity to shake off some rust in the preseason.
Last season in 31 games, Embiid averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Here's what he had to say about his new contract in the Sixers' official statement:
“I'm so thrilled to be in this position,” said Embiid. “I want to thank ownership, management, the coaches and most of all the fans, for supporting me throughout this whole process. I love this city and I'm so, so, so, so excited to be spending my next five years here and hopefully the rest of my career, God willing. Trust ‘The Process.’”
Meanwhile, Markelle Fultz will likely miss Wednesday's game with soreness in his right knee. The 19-year-old rookie out of Washington has had some early struggles in the preseason, tweaking his jump shot and dealing with a sore shoulder. The extent of his right knee injury hasn't been revealed, but hopefully it isn't something that makes him miss an extended period of time. This isn't great news either way since the Sixers first unit hasn't had time to gel and develop chemistry together in a game situation. Hopefully Fultz will be a go for the teams' final preseason game on Friday against the Heat.
