The prognosis for Kansas standout Joel Embiid is not good.
The multi-talented 7-foot center was projected by many as the first pick in the upcoming draft, but it was revealed on Thursday that he needed surgery to fix a stress fracture in his foot.
The surgery was conducted on Friday. Fortunately, the procedure was a success according to Embiid's agent Arn Tellem, but the timeline for his recovery will surely impact his draft stock.
Joel Embiid's recovery process is expected to cover 4-to-6 months, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 20, 2014
If Embiid's recovery is on the short-end, meaning he makes a return in four months, he would theoretically return sometime during preseason. Instead, if the recovery takes him six months, Embiid would miss the start of the regular season.
Concerns about his health will surely bring Embiid's draft stock down. The only question is how much. Earlier reports have indicated that Embiid could conceivably slip as low as fifth.
