The conundrum for teams atop the NBA Draft next week was whether Joel Embiid’s injury concerns were worth the risk of his potential impact.
Their question may have been answered for them. Embiid reportedly fractured his foot, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
"Joel Embiid, who was considered the front-runner to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot Friday, his agent confirmed in a statement.“Joel Embiid suffered a stress fracture to the navicular bone in his right foot,” Arn Tellem said Thursday. “He is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow. Joel will be unable to participate in any additional workouts, and will not attend the draft in New York. We will have no further comment until after the surgery.”"
Embiid’s injury will certainly drop him out of contention for the #1 pick, but just how far will he fall? Many teams will have to reconsider their stances on Embiid. The Lakers, obviously holding on to the 7th pick, may be in the perfect spot to nab Embiid.
Embiid is a 7-foot center prospect with a rare blend of athleticism and size. Despite his stats looking underwhelming, his minutes were limited while at Kansas.
Lakers fans may remember last time they had a lottery pick, which they used to draft youngster Andrew Bynum. While not identical, the situations could be considered similar. However, in the run-up to the draft, the Lakers never worked out the Cameroon-native, but only the Cavaliers hosted a workout for the big man.
Will the Lakers take another risk on a raw big man, or draft a more NBA-ready prospect? Let us know down below what you would do in this situation: draft Embiid (if available) or avoid the risk and take the next best player available?