Conflicting reports say Sixers probably still want Joel Embiid at #3, but also Dante Exum


Over the last few days there's been a lot of talk about the possibility of the Celtics drafting injured center Joel Embiid if he's still on the board at #6.  Personally I think it's a waste of time and Embiid will be long gone by then.  Even if Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins go 1-2, it seems very likely that Philadelphia would grab Embiid at #3.

The Sixers made a similar move last season by selecting the injured Nerlens Noel, and no team in the league cares less about being competitive in the short term than they do.  Philly looks like the perfect organization to take a shot at the potential risk/reward that Embiid represents.

Yesterday Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News reported that the 76ers are eager to take Embiid third overall:


However, this morning ESPN's NBA insider Chad Ford suggested he expects Philadelphia to go a different route:


Should the Sixers choose Exum instead (the consensus #4 before Embiid's injury), it's hard to imagine both the Magic (#4) and Jazz (#5) also passing on Embiid for the likes of Julius Randle, Noah Vonleh, Marcus Smart or Aaron Gordon.



Follow Mark Vandeusen on twitter @LucidSportsFan

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