DENVER — The NBA MVP race just became a little more wide open now that Joel Embiid’s chances at a repeat have ended.
The Philadelphia 76ers big man was the odds-on favorite at the midway mark of the season, before the announcement that he would need surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his left knee.
Embiid had surgery Tuesday. The Sixers did not release any kind of timetable on his return. There’s still a chance he could return for the postseason — there’s just no chance he can extend his MVP reign given the league’s new rules on minimum games necessary to be eligible for awards.