The Chicago Bulls returned to the Madhouse on Madison after their West Coast trip to face the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls fell short, losing to the 76ers, 109-97.  Although Philadelphia was missing All-Star Joel Embiid,

On Jan. 17, the Sixers announced that Embiid's knee had begun to swell again and they would re-evaluate him in 7-to-10 days. Monday marked the 10th day of that period and the team announced an update on the big fella as they look to begin a 6-game homestand on the right foot on Tuesday when they host the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 76ers still think Joel Embiid, who’s played in just 13 games this season, is a franchise-level player. “We’re still really happy with Joel,” 76ers majority owner Josh Harris told The Athletic

Embiid has missed the last 11 games as he continues to battle with knee issues and is ruled out for the home games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

Team governor Josh Harris sat down with The Athletic and gave his thoughts on Embiid as the Sixers move forward:

No Embiid, barely any Paul George — and it doesn’t matter. Bulls drop a 109-97 loss to the 76ers. Substantial implications for the Eastern Conference standings out of that result. LaVine (25 ...

The Sixers got some good news on Monday as Joel Embiid returned to practice. Albeit, as a partial participant, but it is something for Philadelphia as it moves forward. The big fella will remain out for both the matchups with the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, but Embiid practicing is a good sign going forward.

The Chicago Bulls are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time this season. The Bulls fell short in their last meeting with a final score of 108-100 in favor of the 76ers. Zach LaVine and Joel Embiid put on a show in the last game with both players scoring at least 30 points.

Although the Philadelphia 76ers plan to keep the streak of Joel Embiid missing games going, progress is at least being made. As the Sixers returned to the court

Joel Embiid's ongoing knee issues should alter the Sixers' strategy heading into the NBA trade deadline, as they now have far less incentive to make a win-now move.

Time will tell whether the Sixers are going to buy or sell, and the team's performance across their four remaining home games before the deadline could be the determining factor. Enjoy another batch of fake trades, including options for both scenarios.