If you heard a loud sigh of relief from the cubicle next to you at work today, your co-worker probably saw that "The Process" himself did something this afternoon that he hasn't done in a long, long time.
According to CSN's Jessica Camerato, Joel Embiid participated in "half court 5-on-5 segments" at practice this afternoon.
Sixers medical update: Jahlil Okafor did full practice. Embiid did half court 5-on-5. pic.twitter.com/fZ9Worw4D9
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoCSN) September 29, 2017
This is obviously huge news, since Embiid has not been permitted to practice 5-0n-5 at any extent since he had “minor" arthroscopic surgery on his left knee back on March 24th.
The fourth year big man, who's only played 31 games in his NBA career, has been in talks with the Sixers for a contract extension before he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. The fact that Embiid is beginning to ease his way back into the groove of practicing 5-on-5 could potentially help move the negotiation process between the team and the former Kansas big at a much faster rate.
In other news, Jahill Okafor was a full participant in practice today. Okafor has been practicing at 5-on-5 for a few straight days now which bodes well for both him and his stock going forward.
Due to the glut of big men on the roster and his awkward fit in Brett Brown's system, the team may look to deal Okafor before the season begins.
