It’s draft day, and the Cavaliers are on the clock. The Cavs have made it clear to teams that if they trade the No. 1 pick, they want proper compensation in terms of a lottery pick, or two, and a veteran player capable of helping next season. I am hearing that Philadelphia and Boston are still in the mix. This morning the Orlando Magic pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Aaron Afflalo to the Denver Nuggets for Evan Fournier
It what seems like a never-ending soap opera, the Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly split on Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. As things stand, I get the sense that the Cavs prefer to trade the top overall pick in Thursday’s draft. And if they do, I expect Joel Embiid to be a very real possibility if the Cavs move down. The significance of LeBron James opting out is that it comes early enough that all teams looking to make a play for him
The NBA Draft was overshadowed today when news broke that LeBron James will be opting out of his contract with the Miami Heat. The four-time MVP had been rumored to be leaning towards opting out, but today his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Management, confirmed that LeBron informed the Heat of his decision. Unlike four years ago, LeBron no longer shares an agency with Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade. Today LeBron James is his own entity, and having endured a
With the 2014 NBA Draft fast approaching, teams have a tough decision to make due to Joel Embiid’s unexpected foot injury. After having surgery on his right foot – believed to be a very serious type of injury – the 7-footer is expected to miss four-to-six months of action. Not surprisingly, this has caused teams to reconsider their plans of drafting the center. The Cleveland Cavaliers, in particular, are looking at Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins now. They may even simply trade
It’s NBA Draft Week, and the Cavaliers are on the clock. Cleveland has eliminated Joel Embiid as a candidate for the top overall pick. According to sources, the Cavaliers currently have Jabari Parker rated above Andrew Wiggins by a razor-thin margin. Both small forwards were in Cleveland last week, and while Wiggins was more impressive than Parker, the Cavs are intrigued by Parker’s ability to make an impact as a rookie. There is still a chance the Cavs could opt for Wiggins,
Something to think about as we barrel toward Thursday night’s draft: Beware the comparisons … you know, the “he is the next (fill in the blank).” Like Joel Embiid, who is either the next Hakeem Olajuwon or the next Greg Oden. Basketball is the most nuanced and elaborated game there is, and this is why NBA Comps are nothing more than bad smokescreens. Take a look at Penny Hardaway for a second. What do you see? You see a long ball-handler, ultra-quick
With the news that Kansas’ Joel Embiid had surgery Friday to repair a stress fracture in his navicular bone, the NBA draft among lottery teams has become quite intriguing. It is rare to have a consensus No. 1 pick experience such untimely misfortune. The top pick will earn a rookie salary of $5.51 million. The No. 5 pick will earn $3.61 million. And that is just in Year 1 of a four-year rookie scale deal. Taken out over the full four years,
Long thought to be the top prospect heading into the 2014 NBA Draft, Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid is now enduring a minor setback. As of Friday, he will be out of commission much less incapable of traveling to the draft a week from today. Embiid is having surgery to correct a stress fracture in his right foot. His agent, Arn Tellem, spoke to the press regarding the matter. Joel Embiid suffered a stress fracture to the navicular bone in his right