3:53pm: Embiid is expected to recover in four to six months, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
12:25pm: The Magic placed calls to the Cavs and Bucks about moving up to acquire their selections after news surfaced of Joel Embiid‘s broken foot, and the Jazz and Sixers made the same inquiries, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com in his latest Insider-only piece. Ford hears from teams who believe Embiid’s recovery timetable is anywhere from four months to a year. Reports have indicated that Utah and Philadelphia have made previous attempts at moving up, but it looks like Embiid’s injury prompted Orlando to pursue trade options it hadn’t been considering. Cleveland and Milwaukee hold the first and second picks, respectively, in Thursday’s draft.
Ford believes the Magic, who pick fourth, had narrowed their choices to Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh before Embiid’s injury, but Thursday’s bombshell apparently prompted desire on the Cavs’ part to bring Exum in for a workout. The Australian guard is the most likely candidate to break into the top three picks if Embiid falls to No. 4 or below, so it would seem Orlando wants to ensure it has a chance to take Exum.
The chances that Embiid goes first or second in the draft are “slim to none,” Ford writes, adding that there’s only a slight chance the Sixers take him at No. 3. The Magic would be 50-50 to take him presuming they stay at No. 4, according to Ford, who says that it’s doubtful the Jazz would draft him fifth. It sounds like Embiid’s floor is No. 6, as Ford hears Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wouldn’t pass on him at that position as long as the big man’s surgery today goes as planned.
I wonder if the Bucks or Cavs would take Afflalo and the 4th pick or Afflalo and the 12th pick for the 2nd pick.
I think it’s unrealistic that either team will take the 12th pick and affalo even though I hope its possible. Affalo and the 4th is more like it
Afflalo and the 12th pick? You are one dumb hayseed. You aren’t getting into the top 2, rube.
GS: Love, Martin
Cleveland: Afflalo, David Lee, 4th overall pick, Phillys #32 2nd round pick
Philly: 1st overall pick, Alonzo Gee, Jarrett Jack
Orlando: 3rd overall pick, Dion Waiters
MIN: Klay Thompson, Barnes, Tristan Thompson, GS 1st rounder
So the Cavs give up:
Wiggins (1st pick), Gee, Jack, Waiters, and Thompson
for
Afflalo, Lee, #4, and a 2nd??
LMAO!!
LOL GET IT?!?! Two borderline all-star players, the ability to still draft their preferred player (Embiid) and shedding salaries of overpaid rotation players is totally ridiculous. Totally forgot how successful the Irving/Waiters/Thompson core has been.
The Cavs GUT their team, get an overrated Afflalo instead of Wiggins, Older, injury prone, and expensive Lee, a player at #4 who may miss the entire year and is a giant risk, and a player who probably wont make the team in round 2.
And they shed NO salary as those players are all on rookie or cheap deals, and they have the MOST cap space in the entire league so they have no desire at all to shed salary. Good strategy.
Ohkay I figured it’d be evident I didn’t work out the exact salaries but guess not…the remaining salary can be worked out with other lessers players contracts, it happens all the time in trades. Yes they are not shedding any salary, but they are turning dead money into productive money.
The Cavs can continue on their path trying to develop Irving/Waiters/Thompson hoping they become superstars which, besides with Irving, is pretty obvious wont happen. They can continue to wait for Lebron to walk through the door or other free agents want to join the disaster that is going on over there. They can keep hoping to get do-overs in the lottery every year. Or they could actually acquire players under contract who are above average players right now. The Cavs have to do something to change the culture there and actually move ahead from LeBron leaving, which they still haven’t.
Adding veterans that represent the absolute best case scenario for Waiters/Thompson will go a long way toward turning that around. Lee has been around winning teams, Afflalo has had to lead a team and had some time around winning teams in Denver. There is a reason nobody wants to come play with their core now, because outside of Irving its all young, average players. Bring Lee/Afflalo in and that changes things. Suddenly there is proven productive players to compliment Irving and the team has a strong foundation.
Find a way to keep Deng and a healthy lineup of Irving/Afflalo/Deng/Lee/Hawes or Varejao has no excuse not to be a top 5 team in the East. If they think Embiid is going to recover fine and consider him the best prospect in the draft then why not acquire two borderline all-stars and still land your man. With Hawes/Varejao they can afford to bring him along slow while not compromising their playoff chances. Call Afflalo/Lee overrated or old or whatever but bottom line is last season they played like all-stars and would instantly make Cleveland a completely different animal.
I really doubt Cleveland’s FO would really pass on pretty much sure things in Parker/Wiggins and trade down to roll the dice with Embiid after these health concerns. Keep in mind that they picked Bennett last year (not saying he can’t improve, I know it’s still early), so I don’t think Cleveland can afford to whiff while two #1’s in a row.
…Although, it is Cleveland, after all.
Amongst all your speculation you forgot to note that afflalo was marginally better than waiters last year while being the #1 scoring option on his team. I never said the cavs should keep Waiters and Thompson but, this trade is awful especially when you couple it with Embiid being the pick. Hawes is also a ufa.
You think that Philly can trade their #3 and their 2nd rounder and NOT ONLY get #1, but also, Gee and Jack. Wow. GM of the year.
“Amongst all your speculation you forgot to note that afflalo was marginally better than waiters last year while being the #1 scoring option on his team”
That couldn’t be any less true. Waiters had a 26.9 USG%, while Afflalo checked in at 23.3%. Afflalo’s TS%, eFG%, REB% and Free Throw Rate were all much better than Waiters’. The only area Waiters got the better of Afflalo is Assist Rate and that’s just barely better and comes at the expense of a higher TO rate. Waiters is still bad, ORtg not even over 100.
In fact, the ESPN trade machine says the cavs are acquiring 21.4M in that trade and only getting rid of 17.5. So they are actually adding salary, not dumping. Also, why would you think the cavs still want Embiid??
It’s not about shedding overall salary. It’s about unloading the garbage (Jack, Waiters, Thompson) your front office has acquired at above market rate.
Waiters and Thompson are on rookie contracts. No way they can be “above market value” when there is a wage scale. Lol just stop. Like I said. The 6ers trade #3 and #32 and get #1, gee, and jack.
And they got drafted way too high, and are making more than they should be on their rookie deals. You think Anthony Bennett is making market value? Not quite as bad with Waiters/Thompson, but they’re not worth 4 slot money. Plus, you completely ignored Jarrett Jack.