NBA Draft rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers visiting with Joel Embiid
By Jack Crosby
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a month still to figure out what they’d like to do with their third top overall pick in the NBA Draft in the last four years, and one of the favored options is Kansas center Joel Embiid, whom ESPN is reporting will visit with the Cavs shortly. Also according to the report, the team will conduct a physical as well.
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Of all the potential no. 1 overall picks in this draft, Embiid is probably the one with the most questions surrounding him, and that’s due in large part to his health.
Coming into the college basketball season last year, all of the focus was put on his freshman teammate and top overall recruit, Andrew Wiggins, but as the season progressed on, Embiid quickly showed that he’s more than capable of being considered one of the best overall players in the country.
Well, that was until the back issues began to rear their ugly head and Embiid missed the team’s last six games of the season, including their run through the Big 12 Tournament as well as their short stay in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cameroon native did not attend the recent NBA Draft Combine in Chicago where he would have had to undergo a physical and the results of that would have been available to everyone. Instead, he’ll rely on personal visits, starting with the Cavaliers shortly.
Right now, Embiid is battling for that top spot with his former teammate Wiggins and Duke’s Jabari Parker.