Joel Embiid MVP Eligibility: 76ers Star's Injuries Jeopardizing Candidacy

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is putting together another MVP-quality season, but the question is whether or not he will be eligible for that top honor.

The 7-foot star, who dazzled with a 70-point scoring performance just last week, has been held out of Philly's lineup because of injuries on several occasions this season. Most recently, the reigning NBA MVP was absent from Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a left knee ailment—his second consecutive missed contest. Embiid is questionable to play Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN.

What complicates things beyond just the 76ers missing their elite center is a new feature in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement that requires players to play a minimum number of games to be considered in the awards conversation. So if Embiid's absences persist, it may prevent him from earning back-to-back trophies.

Here's a breakdown of Embiid's situation.

NBA MVP, All-NBA Eligibility Rules

The NBA and the league's players association came to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement in April that went into effect July 1 and runs through the 2029-30 season, with both sides having the ability to opt out after the 2028-29 campaign. And one of the notable new features in this agreement is a "games played requirement" for certain league honors.

Players, per the agreement, shall be ineligible for NBA Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards—as well as recognition on the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams—if they do not play at least 65 regular season games.

The lone exception in the CBA states a player may still be eligible for honors if:

"The player (A) played in at least sixty-two regular season games, (B) suffered a 'season-ending injury' and (C) played in at least eighty-five percent of regular season games played by his team prior to suffering such injury," the agreement reads.

A player may file an "Awards Eligibility Grievance" or an "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge" should they fail to meet the listed requirements.

These efforts were largely put into place to ensure star players around the league take the court as often as possible. Had this rule been in place last season, five players—including LeBron James (55 games played) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (63)—on the All-NBA teams would have been ineligible. And as a comparison, 65 games equates to 79 percent of the 82-game regular season, while a player must play in 70 percent of games to qualify as a league-leader in a variety of categories, including scoring.

How Many Games Has Embiid Missed?

Embiid has missed 12 of Philadelphia's 45 games this season heading into Monday's matchup with the Warriors, meaning he can miss just five more down the stretch to meet the 65-game requirement and remain in the running for both MVP and All-NBA. The Sixers are 29-16 (third in the Eastern Conference) this season, including 26-7 when Embiid plays.

The six-time All-Star is averaging a league- and career-high 36 points per game this season. Embiid is shooting 53.9 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep, while also filling out his stat sheet with 11.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

But where Embiid stands in the MVP race, and if he will even be in it, is not his top priority.

"The goal is to be ready for the playoffs," Embiid told reporters after a win over the Houston Rockets this month. "If I can't meet the criteria of 65 games ... as long as I'm ready to be dominant [by] that time in April, that's all I care about."

Embiid has suited up for 65 or more games in a season just twice during his eight-year NBA career, and they both occurred in the last two years. Philly's two-time defending scoring champion played in his team's first 14 games of the season, but has since been sent to the bench for multiple stretches with a combination of hip, knee and ankle injuries—plus an illness.

Over the weekend, Embiid was a late scratch in a game against the defending-champion Denver Nuggets and MVP challenger Nikola Jokić. Embiid has finished second in MVP voting behind the Serbian center twice, but missed out on this highly anticipated meeting. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he expected the NBA to investigate the absence, since Embiid was not listed on the injury report, though Sixers coach Nick Nurse tried to explain.

"Not until about 20-25 [minutes before the game] to go on the clock," Nurse said Monday after being asked when he knew Embiid wouldn't play. "He did go out to do his regular warmup and the medical care team just didn't like what they saw and ... they just decided that it was safer, much safer, for him not to play today."