NBA Notes: Sixers, Joel Embiid, Raptors, Brandon Ingram, Nets

76ers

Joel Embiid won’t suit up for Philadelphia’s final game before the All-Star break. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported that Embiid has been ruled out of Wednesday’s matchup with New York due to right knee injury management.

Embiid felt soreness in that knee following Saturday’s win in Phoenix, then sat out Monday’s loss in Portland. While the discomfort has eased in recent days, the 76ers are choosing caution with the former MVP. He’ll continue treatment and be reevaluated after the break.

Elsewhere in Philly, Quentin Grimes reflected on the peace of mind that came with accepting his one-year qualifying offer last summer, which effectively gave him a no-trade clause this season.

“That made it a little easier to go to bed at night,” Grimes told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. “Knowing that I’m not going to wake up and find out that I’m somewhere that I don’t want to be. …

“My agent can call me and relay a proposal from another team that I have to give an OK toward. It was a little bit of a win-win for me.”

Raptors

Brandon Ingram’s All-Star selection is being viewed internally as validation. The Raptors faced criticism last season for trading for and extending Ingram, given his injury history in New Orleans. So far, the return has been strong.

“I think from the moment he came to our team, the amount of work and preparation he put in was incredible,” coach Darko Rajakovic, per Michael Grange of SportsNet. “He had a really hard summer. A lot of recovery. A lot of boring exercises. That he’s only missed two games is a testament to that work.”

Ingram has appeared in 52 of Toronto’s 54 games and leads the team in scoring.

Nets

One name quietly popping in Brooklyn is Day’Ron Sharpe. According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Sharpe owns the highest net rating among Nets regulars and ranks among the league’s top 10 in offensive rebounds and steals per 100 possessions.

The Nets hold a $6.5 million team option on Sharpe for 2026-27, but there’s a growing belief it may be worth exploring a longer-term deal instead. That would require declining the option and opening a negotiation window, but it’s at least a conversation worth having.

Quietly productive. Quietly valuable.