Joel Embiid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Tavares, Kings, Embiid

June 20th, 2014 at 9:13pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Be sure and spend Thursday night’s NBA Draft with us here at Hoops Rumors. Beginning at 6pm CDT, I will be hosting a live chat where I answer your questions, provide up-to-the-minute updates on all the picks, as well as weigh in with my thoughts and opinions on all the moves and selections. So save the date and join us for what is shaping up to be an exciting night.

Here’s the latest draft news and notes:

The extension that first-round draft prospect Walter Tavares signed with his team in Spain gives him greater flexibility to join the NBA this year, agent Andy Miller tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). That suggests that the club lowered the amount of his buyout clauses in exchange for securing him for more years should he remain overseas, though that’s just my speculation.
One of the biggest questions heading into draft night is where will Joel Embiid end up. Once a top-three lock, the news of him needing foot surgery has forced many a mock draft maker to revise their projections. One NBA GM who is picking in Top-10 said of Embiid: “My medical people told me flat-out not to take him,” reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
LaQuinton Ross, C.J. Fair, DeAndre Daniels, and JaKarr Sampson worked out for the Mavericks today, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Kings Assistant GM Mike Bratz called Nik Stauskas and Doug McDermott the best two shooters in the draft, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sacramento currently holds the eighth pick in the draft, one slot ahead of the Hornets, who have been linked to McDermott in numerous mock drafts.
The Kings have workouts scheduled this Monday with Keith Appling, Deonte Burton, Mike Dixon Jr., DeAndre Kane, Jarred Shaw, and Aaric Murray, the team announced.
Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel lays out the case for why the Magic should avoid selecting Embiid in Thursday’s NBA Draft.
Markel Brown will work out for the Spurs on Saturday, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Magic Eye Top-Two Pick Amid Embiid Concern

June 20th, 2014 at 3:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:53pm: Embiid is expected to recover in four to six months, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

12:25pm: The Magic placed calls to the Cavs and Bucks about moving up to acquire their selections after news surfaced of Joel Embiid‘s broken foot, and the Jazz and Sixers made the same inquiries, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com in his latest Insider-only piece. Ford hears from teams who believe Embiid’s recovery timetable is anywhere from four months to a year. Reports have indicated that Utah and Philadelphia have made previous attempts at moving up, but it looks like Embiid’s injury prompted Orlando to pursue trade options it hadn’t been considering. Cleveland and Milwaukee hold the first and second picks, respectively, in Thursday’s draft.

Ford believes the Magic, who pick fourth, had narrowed their choices to Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh before Embiid’s injury, but Thursday’s bombshell apparently prompted desire on the Cavs’ part to bring Exum in for a workout. The Australian guard is the most likely candidate to break into the top three picks if Embiid falls to No. 4 or below, so it would seem Orlando wants to ensure it has a chance to take Exum.

The chances that Embiid goes first or second in the draft are “slim to none,” Ford writes, adding that there’s only a slight chance the Sixers take him at No. 3. The Magic would be 50-50 to take him presuming they stay at No. 4, according to Ford, who says that it’s doubtful the Jazz would draft him fifth. It sounds like Embiid’s floor is No. 6, as Ford hears Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wouldn’t pass on him at that position as long as the big man’s surgery today goes as planned.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, Sanders, Fredette, Hawks

June 20th, 2014 at 11:27am CST by Chuck Myron

Sources in Cleveland tell Chad Ford of ESPN.com that it’s highly unlikely that the Cavs forge ahead and take Joel Embiid first overall now that he has a broken foot, as Ford writes in his latest Insider-only mock draft. It’s unclear just how far he’ll fall. Ford has him dropping to the Magic at No. 4, while our Alex Lee has him going to the Celtics at No. 6 in the most recent version of the Hoops Rumors Mock Draft. Embiid’s injury will have reverberations across the league, but especially in the Eastern Conference, as Eastern teams hold five of the top six picks. Here’s more from the East:

The trade market for Larry Sanders is “virtually non-existent,” according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, running counter to reports that the Kings and Mavs have interest in the Bucks center.
Panathinaikos of Greece is targeting Jimmer Fredette after Nick Calathes didn’t respond to the club’s apparent three-year $6.5MM offer, as Sport24 reports (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Bulls guard hits free agency next month, while Calathes remains on a non-guaranteed contract with the Grizzlies that Memphis isn’t planning to waive.
The Hawks are set to work out draft prospect Walter Tavares today, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops. That’s in spite of yesterday’s news that the 7’3″ 22-year-old has signed a three-year extension with a Spanish team.

Embiid Injury Fallout

June 19th, 2014 at 6:20pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here’s the latest surrounding Joel Embiid following today’s announcement about his foot injury:

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix points out that 76ers GM Sam Hinkie was part of the Rockets staff when Yao Ming’s playing career was derailed by a similar foot injury; naturally, one would be inclined to wonder if that will have an impact on Philadelphia’s thought process during the draft if Embiid is available (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

After polling NBA teams, ESPN Insider Chad Ford says that Embiid is currently projected to go in the 3-6 range. That could all change once teams get a hold of his medical reports, Ford adds (Twitter link).
A source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that the Cavaliers won’t make a firm decision on their number one pick until they get Embiid’s results following his surgery.
The Cavs’ doctors shared the results of Embiid’s physical with the Bucks’ medical staff, who in return exchanged their results of Jabari Parker’s physical, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston that Embiid’s injury wouldn’t discourage the team from selecting him if he became available at their number six spot on draft night. “We try to think long term that, if a guy has to miss a couple months, that shouldn’t deter us from taking him if he’s going to be the best player long term.”
CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely hears that the Celtics will give serious thought to possibly trading up in the draft to secure Embiid.
One NBA general manager told Sean Deveney of Sporting News that while Embiid is still a top 10 pick, his injury risks outweigh the possible benefits of selecting him in the top five. “I think there is a point at which you use a pick on him, where you’re hoping maybe these are just fluke things that are not going to be recurring…But that point is not in the Top 5 or so. You can’t use a Top 5 pick. I think there are too many other good options there to think about using the pick on one who has these injury problems.”

Joel Embiid Suffers Broken Foot, To Have Surgery

June 19th, 2014 at 5:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

5:02pm: Sources tell Chad Ford of ESPN.com that there’s a decent chance that Embiid misses four to six months, as Ford writes in his Insider-only mock draft. That would put him in jeopardy of missing the start of the regular season.

2:12pm: Top draft prospect Joel Embiid has suffered a broken navicular bone in his right foot and will undergo surgery on Friday, agent Arn Tellem informs Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The news confirms earlier fears that grew when the Cavs reportedly discovered the injury during their workout with the former University of Kansas center. Embiid appeared to have the inside track to be selected by Cleveland, which holds the first overall pick, so the broken bone throws the top of the draft into flux just a week before the event.

The injury would seem to make Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins the prime candidates for the No. 1 pick, though the Cavs apparently would like to audition Dante Exum, who’d been the darkhorse candidate to become one of the top three selections. The Sixers have reportedly been targeting Wiggins, having spoken with the Cavs about trading for the top pick, and their chances of landing Embiid’s Kansas teammate without a trade have taken a hit in light of today’s news.

Embiid also missed the end of his lone season with the Jayhawks with a back injury, though fears about that had been dissipating. Still, two worrisome injuries in the past several months threaten to severely dampen his draft stock. Nerlens Noel was seemingly the top prospect in last year’s draft, even though he had a torn ACL, but he slipped to the sixth pick and has yet to play a game in the NBA.

Draft Notes: Embiid, Exum, McDermott, Stauskas

June 19th, 2014 at 12:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

Joel Embiid has suffered a right foot injury, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, and there’s fear that it’s broken, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Cavs discovered the injury during his physical exam with the team, it’s prompted Cleveland to want to work out Dante Exum, Wojnarowski says (Twitter link). Agent Arn Tellem tells fellow ESPN scribe Chad Ford that Embiid probably won’t be doing any more workouts before the draft (Twitter link). He was to have auditioned for the Bucks later this week, Goodman notes on Twitter, though the Bucks haven’t heard from Embiid’s camp about whether the workout is canceled or not, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (on Twitter). Tellem told Andy Katz of ESPN.com that he’ll know more about the injury on Friday, as Goodman notes in his piece, so while the top of the draft hinges on tomorrow’s news on Embiid’s foot, here’s more on the wider field of prospects:

Representatives from the Kings, Nuggets, Wolves and Warriors observed Doug McDermott and Nik Stauskas work out Wednesday in Chicago, Ford tweets.
C.J. Fair will audition Monday for the Mavericks, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
The Magic are bringing Kendrick Perry in for a second workout, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Perry will also audition Saturday for the Wolves, along with Roscoe Smith, Joe Jackson and Taylor Braun, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.
Isaiah Austin, Aaron Craft, T.J. Bray, Eric Moreland and Daniel Miller are the previously unreported prospects who are showing off for the Raptors today, the team announced via press release. Austin is fresh off an audition on Wednesday for the Clippers, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).
Jabari Brown, Markel Brown, Devin Oliver, Khyle Marshall and Xavier Munford are among those working out for the Celtics today, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Oliver reportedly auditioned for the Celtics last week, too.
The Kings will audition Michael Dixon on Monday, Scotto tweets.

Draft Rumors: Embiid, Nets, Celtics, Lakers

June 18th, 2014 at 2:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs are strongly leaning toward taking Joel Embiid first overall, a source tells Chris Mannix of SI.com. Of course, earlier reports have indicated leanings toward Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, and Cleveland threw a curveball with last season’s selection of Anthony Bennett at No. 1, so it’s tough to get a read on owner Dan Gilbert’s team. Still, Mannix and others have plenty of intel surrounding the draft with eight days to go:

The Nets are seeking a first-round pick, according to Mannix, who echoes earlier reports that the Pelicans and Knicks are doing the same.
The Celtics like Aaron Gordon the best among the power forwards likely to be available at No. 6, Mannix hears.
The Lakers are leaning toward keeping their No. 7 pick rather than trading down for multiple picks, believing there’s a drop-off after the top 10 prospects, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin nonetheless doesn’t say whether the team is leaning toward keeping the pick rather than acquiring a veteran, and the Lakers and the Kings are reportedly more open to trades than any other lottery clubs.
The Jazz aren’t necessarily seeking Parker as they attempt to trade up from the fifth pick, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in a chat with readers.
Several teams were disappointed when Kristaps Porzingis decided to withdraw from the draft, and one executive told Mannix that he believes the Latvian has a decent chance to become a top-five pick next year. The Thunder, who’d reportedly promised to draft him, and Mavs were particularly high on him, according to Mannix, while the Hawks were also enamored with him, Ford says in his chat.
The Grizzlies appear likely to trade into the second round, as we passed along earlier.

And-Ones: Nelson, Embiid, Parker, Wiggins

June 17th, 2014 at 10:33pm CST by Cray Allred

Jameer Nelson‘s agent tells David Baumann of 810 CBS Sports Orlando that his client has made clear his desire to remain with the Magic next season (Twitter link). Nelson’s partially guaranteed $8MM contract will become fully guaranteed if he isn’t waived before July 15. More from around the league:

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports released a new mock draft, slotting Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, and Andrew Wiggins in the top three respective spots in what is becoming the consensus order at the top of the draft, at least for the time being.
Three NBA scouts gave Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio their opinions on Embiid, Parker, and Wiggins, and believe the trio will wind up making each team selecting in the top-three very happy. “It’s like having three No. 1 (overall) picks in one draft,” one of the scouts told Amico.
NBA scouts and executives raved to Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe about Parker’s potential, telling Holmes that the small forward is the safest pick in the draft, with a game comparable to Carmelo Anthony.

Sixers Aggressively Pursuing Andrew Wiggins

June 17th, 2014 at 9:13am CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers are doing whatever they can to draft Andrew Wiggins, sources tell Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Chad Ford of ESPN.com seconds that notion in his latest Insider-only mock draft, echoing his own report that the Kansas forward is Philly’s top target. The Sixers have inquired with the Cavs about moving up to No. 1, as Ford noted in his earlier piece, though his latest dispatch indicates that the most likely scenario involves Wiggins falling to Philadelphia at No. 3.

If a trade would be necessary for the Sixers to land Wiggins, a deal in which Philly would send the No. 3 pick and Thaddeus Young “isn’t totally out of the question,” Ford hears. Still, that’s contingent on the Cavs believing that Joel Embiid would get past the Bucks, who pick second overall, as Ford writes. Embiid’s workout and interview last week for Cleveland were major successes, according to Ford, who hears Embiid’s physical for the Cavs went well, too.

Dante Exum appears to be in the mix for the Sixers at No. 3 should they fail to move up and Wiggins is off the board by the time they pick. The Philadelphia brass believes Exum is a strong fit next to Michael Carter-Williams in the backcourt, Ford writes, though he reported earlier that the team has thought about trading Carter-Williams to accommodate the Australian prospect.

Draft Notes: Bucks, Parker, Embiid, Hornets

June 16th, 2014 at 1:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks aren’t having any trouble getting a look at the top prospects. Milwaukee is reportedly set for a pair of workouts with Andrew Wiggins, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com hears that Jabari Parker will work out again for the club this week after having done so last week (Twitter link). Joel Embiid was already apparently slated to audition for the club, and GM John Hammond also met with the Kansas big man last week, Ford tweets. The Bucks appear to be the only team with which Wiggins, Parker, Embiid and Dante Exum have all agreed to visit and work out, Ford notes (Twitter link). Here’s more on the draft, now just 10 days away.

Jerami Grant, De’Mon Brooks, Josh Davis, Jarell Eddie and Mike Moser are among the draft prospects showing off for the Hornets today, the team announced via press release.
The Heat are auditioning Walter Tavares today, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.
Keith Appling, Dave Dudzinski, Markel Starks, Tyler Stone and Jermaine Marshall are showing off for the Celtics today, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com notes via Twitter. Marshall will also audition for the Cavs, Sportando reports (via Twitter).
Roscoe Smith has the Raptors and Mavs on his agenda, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv hears (Twitter link).
Richard Harris of NBADraft.net adds the Bulls to the list of teams for which Johnny O’Bryant III has worked out. O’Bryant also has auditions slated with the Rockets, Heat, Hornets, Bucks, Grizzlies, Raptors and Pistons, Harris reports.
Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic adds the Sixers, Mavs, Rockets and Heat to the list of teams that are getting a look at Jordan Bachynski (Twitter link).
Jahii Carson, Kendrick Perry, Earnest Ross and Alec Brown are all performing for the Rockets, Scotto tweets.
The Lakers are one of more than a dozen teams for which Ronald Roberts Jr. is working out, a source tells Zagoria (Twitter link).
The Warriors are auditioning Eric Moreland, Roberto Nelson and Travis Bader, according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links).