The Philadelphia 76ers have been fined $100,000 by the NBA for making false statements about why star center Joel Embiid is not currently playing, the league announced Tuesday.

The league said Embiid, who missed the 76ers’ first three games, is out with a left knee “illness.” The team did not violate the NBA’s player participation policy, which requires all healthy players to be available for games, the league ruled, but the fine was levied for public statements made by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse explained Embiid’s absence, which was viewed as misleading.

The NBA opened an investigation after Embiid missed the team’s season opener last week, which was nationally televised on ESPN. At the time, Nurse said that Embiid was out due to the team’s “plan” and that he “did not get injured again,” while Morey said the Sixers were prioritizing Embiid’s health in the playoffs over games early in the regular season.

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NBA is investigating Joel Embiid’s absence from the 76ers

A league source with knowledge of the NBA’s investigation said that while Embiid did not suffer a new injury to his surgically repaired left knee during the Olympics, the knee was so unstable that there were concerns about further damage Embiid had suffered last year played week. The Sixers had cited treatment for left knee injuries as the reason for his absence, and league sources say the decision was found to be accurate by the NBA. Embiid is dealing with a legitimate left knee issue in her determination.

However, according to league sources, the NBA focused its investigation on the contrast between the Sixers’ public statements. On the one hand, those responsible for the Sixers had publicly stated that Embiid had suffered neither a setback nor a new injury at the beginning of the season. On the other hand, they had been open about their plans not to use Embiid in back-to-back games this season.

In an interview with ESPN, Morey indicated that both Embiid and his Sixers co-star Paul George would not play back-to-back. More specifically, league sources say the message — that the playoffs were a big priority and the regular season was not — was a key part of the decision to fine the Sixers as well.

There’s certainly a business angle that certainly played a role, as the NBA is just a season away from beginning its new media rights partnerships with Amazon, NBC and ESPN. The idea of ​​star players participating in high-profile regular-season games is, in turn, a key part of the league’s future financial equation.

The Sixers, who were also without George after he strained his left knee in the preseason, have lost two of their first three games. They host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

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(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)