UPDATED 12:22 a.m.
If you were planning on DVRing the Sixers' summer league games featuring Joel Embiid, you can think about changing those settings.
Embiid recently visited Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles for a standard CT scan of his right foot. The results?
"Less healing than anticipated at this point," general manager Sam Hinkie said in a statement Saturday night. "Our priority remains providing Joel with every opportunity to ensure he has a long and successful NBA career, and as such, these findings cause us to pause and reassess his current activities."
According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Embiid hadn't felt pain in his foot after recent workouts, and it's still too early to know whether or not he'll need another surgery.
However, an NBA source told me surgery is still being discussed. If Embiid requires another surgery, the 7-foot-1 center will probably be sidelined for a second straight season.
The timing of this revelation is curious on a couple fronts.
NBA
First, the NBA draft is 12 days away. On Friday, Hinkie was in Las Vegas watching — with representatives from the other 29 teams — Kristaps Porzingis work out. Porzingis is 19 years old, 6-foot-11 and quickly improving his draft status.
Porzingis, who played professionally in Spain last year, is a project. Additionally, the Sixers have Nerlens Noel, Embiid and Dario Saric all in the frontcourt mix. The fact the Sixers are seriously considering selecting the Latvia native with the No. 3 overall pick is puzzling.
That thought process becomes less troubling if the organization has an injured Embiid.
Keep in mind since the end of the Sixers' season, two people have appeared on TCN's Breakfast on Broad and said Embiid was a shoe-in to play in the summer league.
"He will, yes he will," CEO Scott O'Neil said on April 21.
Embiid's agent, Arn Tellem, was a guest on the same show and had similar feelings May 7.
"The good news is [Embiid] is back playing basketball now," Tellem said. "This is now coming from the Sixers that he has made great progress. We expect him to play this summer.
"I am keeping my fingers crossed that Joel will be a terrific player, sort of the anchor of this franchise going forward. All signs are pointing in a good direction and that is most encouraging."
And as recent as May 21, Sixers sharpshooter Robert Convington spoke about Embiid playing in daily pickup games — usually 3-on-3.
"Joel has a big body," Covington said. "He is tremendous on the boards, very ferocious. He definitely has a knack for going to get boards. Trying to box him out, you really have to work hard. That is what I did, but it is a big task."
But here Embiid is, having undergone a routine checkup that sends a red flag. He had a similar visit in L.A. in mid-March, another scheduled visit but came on the heels of him dunking in pregame warmups and then being seen wearing a walking boot in the days that followed.
The worst was thought to have happened, but the story proved to be much adieu about nothing.
"He can go for 60 straight minutes," Brown said after Embiid visited his L.A. based doctors on March 11. "There will be some discretion that we use when we decide how long we work him out. We have to be smart about it. We want to get his conditioning up and his weight down.
"The bottom line is he has come back from Los Angeles with the news we all expected — he's progressing to the point where they have allowed us to increase his minutes on the floor."
And now, 23 days before Embiid is expected to take the court in the Utah summer league, he appears destined to be a bystander.
"As part of the conservative approach focused on the long-term health, recovery, and care of Joel, we have been closely monitoring his progress," Hinkie said. "We are regularly evaluating his status and adjusting our plans accordingly.
"Discussions regarding the appropriate next steps are currently ongoing and we will share an update once it becomes available."
Embiid has not spoken to the media since media day last September. Per league rules, an injured player is not required to do so.
Don't expect to hear his version of what's happening with his right foot any time soon unless the charismatic social media persona has a lapse with his infatuation of Twitter or Instagram.
In the meantime, all bets are off with what the Sixers will do with the No. 3 pick on June 25.
D'Angelo Russell fans should prepare for a 50/50 night.
And as for Porzingis haters, remember Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love.
And to Embiid … Godspeed.
"Together with Joel and his representatives, we will continue to consult with the experienced team of doctors who have been an integral part of his evaluations," Hinkie said. "We will do so while also engaging in dialogue with a broader set of experts and specialists."