In light of Joel Embiid’s surgery on a stress fracture in his foot, the Philadelphia 76ers have expressed much more interest in Embiid if he falls to them at No. 3 overall.
With rumors of the Cavaliers leaning toward selecting Duke’s Jabari Parker and the Bucks likely selecting Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, the 76ers could opt to select the player that many had as the top prospect in the draft before his injury.
Matt Moore of CBS Sports believes that the 76ers could have legitimate interest in Embiid, but that could also be a smokescreen for a team that has interest in the Kansas big man.
“So are the Sixers really going to pursue drafting Embiid? Well, a few things to keep in mind. They just spent a year rehabbing and rebuilding the shot of Nerlens Noel. Do you want to play Embiid at power forward and establish a twin towers approach? But it also shows that Philly is willing to be patient and wait for players to get healthy. Second, the Sixers need the best talent available. And if Embiid is that player, that could be enough for them to go that direction.
But then there's this. There's a good chance that the Sixers are putting out a smokescreen. If Philadelphia wants to try and raise the value of their pick for a potential trade, or to show Cleveland and Milwaukee they're happy at No. 3 and don't need to trade up, there's reason to show this card.”
The 76ers would be creating a very optimistic atmosphere if they select Embiid and pairing him with Nerlins Noel would create a great pair of big men pending health issues. The 76ers have plenty of options when the draft rolls around Thursday, but regardless the atmosphere in Philadelphia has to be improving considering the miserable season the team just endured.
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