Joel Embiid undergoes successful foot surgery, full recovery expected
The biggest story relating to the upcoming NBA Draft is the health of former Kansas center Joel Embiid who underwent successful surgery on his foot to repair the stress fracture in his navicular bone in his right foot.
More from NBA
- NBA insider: Cavaliers should consider trading Donovan Mitchell
- NBA rumors: Hawks trade candidate, Sixers miss out, Lakers almost lose Reaves
- NBA insider explains real reason the Grizzlies were done with Dillon Brooks
- Knicks projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
- Rockets projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
The 7-foot center struggled with a back injury down the stretch for the Jayhawks as he was held out of some regular season games and subsequently the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament, but was still touted as the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers after convincing them his back was healthy.
When the news broke about his damaged foot reports began to swirl that could send his draft stock free falling and at least one team picking in the top 10 is being told not to draft the Cameroon native.
We don’t know where Embiid will be drafted or how long he will need to recover from the surgery he underwent on Friday, but his surgeon Dr. Richard Ferkel deemed the operation a success and he will be able to return to play in the NBA.
“Two screws were inserted into the navicular bone in Joel Embiid’s right foot, Dr. Ferkel said in a statement via ESPN’s Chad Ford.” “The surgery went very well and I’m confident that after appropriate healing he will be able to return to NBA Basketball. Joel tolerated the surgery without difficulty and will begin his rehabilitation in the near future.”
Some early reports have speculated that Embiid will need four to six months to recover from the operation.