Latest NBA Draft projection robs 76ers of perfect Joel Embiid succession plan

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost four straight as Joel Embiid recovers from a foot sprain. Well, now the foot sprain is healed, but Embiid is slated to miss 7-10 more days, at least.

The 30-year-old went through an on-court workout on Thursday and experienced an increase in knee swelling afterward, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

It can't get much worse, right? Embiid has only appeared in 13 games for Philadelphia this season as he battles through various ailments. This knee issue has plagued Embiid from the jump. Just when it feels like the 7-footer might be approaching solid ground, the rug gets pulled from beneath him. Embiid's body is failing him at every turn.

There is no greater emotion than sadness at this point. This sucks for Embiid, it sucks for the Sixers, and it sucks for all the fans sitting at home.

With Embiid clearly not right physically, one can't help but think of the 2025 NBA Draft class — and a certain Duke prospect lighting up scoreboards of late. Cooper Flagg would give 76ers fans a real pick-me-up. In order to get a chance at Flagg (or another top prospect), however, Philadelphia needs to tank.

As of now, Philadelphia's first-round pick belongs to OKC if it falls anywhere outside the top six. That is a stipulation of the Al Horford trade, as if that knife wasn't twisted enough already. In short, if the Sixers don't properly tank, that very valuable pick will belong to the Thunder.

Bleacher Report's latest NBA mock draft is an especially sobering reminder for 76ers fans.

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76ers miss out on perfect Joel Embiid successor in latest NBA mock draft

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has OKC selecting Duke's Khaman Maluach with the No. 8 overall pick. A lesser-touted but extremely compelling teammate of the aforementioned Flagg, Maluach posssesses one of the draft's highest ceilings. Listed at 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds, the 18-year-old from South Sudan is a special athlete.

OKC would benefit plenty from Maluach's imposing rim protection and hyper-efficient rim finishing, but what about the 76ers? With Embiid's knees in tatters, one can't help but think about the future. This current era feels ill-fated. The basketball gods seem hellbent on sidetracking Embiid's career until the very end. With that in mind, setting the stage for the next generation — and perhaps developing a worthy successor behind Embiid in the frontcourt — would be useful.

Maluach wouldn't only be an investment in the future either. He'd be quite useful as a backup center, giving the 76ers a legitimate defensive anchor behind Embiid. Philadelphia has long struggled to generate stops with Embiid on the bench. Maluach needs time and patience, but he profiles as an immediate rim deterrent due to his size, movement skills and instincts. For a "raw" big, as Maluach is often labeled, his decision-making is pretty sharp. He is prone to overextension and the classic pitfalls of young rim protectors, but Maluach plays hard and generally understands his assignments. He won't fall asleep on the back line or put himself in unnecessarily compromised positions.

Here's how Wasserman describes Maluach's impact:

"Regardless, he has a clear archetype with the size, length and movement for the easy baskets and rim protection to be deemed easily translatable. The stats might not show a lot of blocks, but the tape shows a disruptive defensive presence who forces his man to have to make difficult finishes over his reach."

Maluach is shooting 77.3 percent at the free throw line and has made one of five 3-point attempts this season. Nothing special, but it does hint at shooting upside for a towering 7-foot-2, exceedingly fluid center. Most of Maluach's offensive value comes on lobs and simple finishes — he dunks everything — but he's also extremely young, and there's reason to believe he can expand his skill set over time. Embiid would be the ideal teacher if he's willing, and there's a nonzero chance Embiid and Maluach can one day share the floor in a perfect world.

There is genuine appeal to the concept of Maluach as Embiid's understudy and eventual replacement. The Sixers would be wise to start getting their contingency plans lined up. That said, if Philadelphia can't drop at least a couple spots into the top six — and get lucky on lottery day — Maluach is nothing but a pipe dream.