NBA Draft Rumors: Celtics, Magic and Jazz in trade talks with Cavaliers to select Jabari Parker
By Jack Crosby
In the months leading up to Thursday night’s NBA Draft, the consensus was that the Cleveland Cavaliers were dead set on keeping their no. 1 overall selection and taking Kansas center Joel Embiid. However, since the news of his injury and subsequent surgery, the mood has drastically changed, and they are now fielding some trade calls.
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According to ESPN’s Andy Katz, the Cavaliers are in deep talks specifically with the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, who apparently all have their sights set on one young man: Duke’s Jabari Parker.
Utah, Orland and Boston have talked to Cleveland about No. 1 and if so the choice would be Jabari Parker.
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) June 26, 2014
Since the news of Embiid’s unfortunate injury broke, the thought now is that the top selection will either be Parker or Embiid’s Kansas teammate, Andrew Wiggins. Whichever one goes first all depends on which team is selecting in that no.1 overall slot.
At this point, as the event draws closer and closer, it doesn’t appear as if the Cavaliers will stay in that spot. One of these number of teams that are pitching their offers are bound to catch the team’s interest at some point and a deal could be struck.
The only question is whether or not it’s completed by the deadline Thursday, or if the Cavaliers will have to select someone like Parker and then deal him away moments later.