Report: Embiid 'hasn't totally been eliminated' for Cavs with No. 1 pick despite foot surgery
The broken navicular bone in Joel Embiid's right foot has introduced a great deal of entropy into the proceedings leading up to the NBA Draft next Thursday.
While the top-five picks had been somewhat fluid throughout the year, Embiid, Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins had settled in as top-three selections for the past few weeks. Now, with Embiid possibly out anywhere from four months to a year depending on how Friday's surgery goes, and comparisons being made to several notable cases of player decline following the same injury, that pecking order has been thrown into question.
Embiid could slide as far as No. 5, it seems, or perhaps even further considering no team other than Cleveland got an up-close and personal look at Embiid in workouts or medical examinations.
On the other hand, Embiid may possess enough potential that he's still selected first overall, according to ESPN's Chad Ford.
Here's Ford on the dilemma currently facing the Cavs:
Embiid, I'm told by sources, hasn't totally been eliminated. The Cavs, like everyone else, are waiting to hear back from the doctors after Friday's surgery. But it's highly likely that they are going to go in a different direction now if they keep the No. 1 pick.
...
The chances that he goes No. 1 or No. 2 are slim-to-none.
...Sources said in the wake of the Embiid news, the Philadelphia 76ers, Magic and Jazz all made calls to the Cavs (and Bucks) about moving up.
Wiggins has already worked out for the Cavs and Parker is working out for them on Friday, so it may be more clear what there plan is after this weekend. Having said that, they'll surely be engaged in potential trade talks leading up to their turn on the clock next Thursday.
From there, Embiid could slide as low as No. 6 to Boston, where Ford believes the Celtics would scoop him up unless something drastic comes out in post-surgery medical reports.
Unfortunately for Embiid, it doesn't sound like he'll be able to recoup any monetary loss from an injury-related slide in the draft. That's because Embiid only had disability insurance purchased through Kansas, a policy that does not cover "loss of value," only up to a $5 million loss if he were to never be able to play again, according to a report from ESPN.
He could have purchased additional loss of value insurance outside of the NCAA, which reportedly would have insulated him if he fell below the seventh pick in the draft. If Embiid slides from No. 1 to No. 6, as Ford speculates, that would represent an estimated loss of $8.35 million over the four-year life of his rookie contract.