Joel Embiid will miss the rest of the season with the Philadelphia 76ers saying he is "medically unable to play" and will focus on treatment and rehabilitation of his left knee.

Embiid was already set to miss his 40th game of the season on Saturday when the 76ers host Golden State, but the 76ers said there will be no more games for the star centre in 2024-25.

"The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid have been consulting with top specialists regarding ongoing issues with his left knee," the team said in a statement.

"After further evaluation it has been determined that he is medically unable to play and will miss the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation.

"We are working with medical experts to determine the exact treatment plan ... the team and specialists will continue working with Joel to ensure the best path forward for his long-term health and performance."

One of the pre-season favourites to contend for an NBA title, the Sixers take a nine-game losing streak into Saturday's game against the Warriors. Even with the heavy slide, the Sixers were just 2 1/2 games out of a spot in the play-in tournament entering Friday's games.

Embiid will miss his third straight game overall and hasn't played since he was benched for ineffectiveness in the fourth quarter of a loss last Saturday to Brooklyn.

The 76ers are 8-11 with Embiid this season; 12-27 without him.

A two-time NBA scoring champion, Embiid has been hobbled by injuries all season, and served a three-game suspension for shoving a member of the media. He's averaged 23.8 points - he averaged at least 30 and won two scoring titles the last three seasons - and scored only 29 points combined in his last two games.

Embiid has played only 58 regular-season games and seven play-in tournament/playoff games since he earned NBA MVP honours in the 2022-23 season.

The 76ers' first-round pick is top-six protected or else it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder, one reason there was speculation the Sixers might shut down Embiid and cut their losses on the season.