Sixers Very Interested in Joel Embiid At No. 3

Joel Embiid‘s unfortunately timed foot injury probably means that he won’t be a top two pick in the draft.  For all of his talent, the KU big man, who was already grappling with back issues, could be in for one serious slide on Thursday night.  Or, perhaps not.  Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter) hears that the Sixers are very much interested in grabbing Embiid at No. 3 should be fall to them.

Despite the concerns about his bad back, Embiid was very much in the mix for the Cavs at No. 1 until the news of his injury broke.  The early prognosis is that Embiid could be sidelined for four to six months, which would mean that he’d miss the start of the regular season.  Selecting Embiid at the top of the draft would be a sizable risk for any team, but it’s a particularly touchy issue for the Sixers.  Philly used a top ten pick last season on Kentucky star Nerlens Noel last June and they’re still awaiting his NBA debut after a torn ACL cost him his entire rookie season.

Of course, it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to draft rumors this time of year.  Just last week it was reported that Philly was hoping to trade for the Cavs’ No. 1 pick in order to land Embiid’s teammate, Andrew Wiggins.

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