Embiid foot injury gives Parker shot at being first pick in NBA Draft

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. This may not be any truer than when it comes to the week of the NBA Draft..

According to a report via ESPN's Andy Katz, which was later confirmed in a statement by Embiid's agent, former Kansas center Joel Embiid has fractured his right foot. This injury comes just a week before the draft and Embiid—thought to have the best shot at being drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers—will seemingly slide from the top spot. After suffering a back injury during the year, causing him to miss the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments, his recent track record of injuries may cause the Cavaliers to think twice before using the first pick in the draft on an injured center.

This paves the way for former Duke forward Jabari Parker to slide into the No. 1 spot. The Cavaliers already have a heavy presence of Blue Devils, with former Duke products Luol Deng and Kyrie Irving on their roster. Parker is now back in the battle for the top spot, as Andrew Wiggins—another Jayhawk—will be the other player in competition for Cleveland's opening selection.

Although several top mock drafts, including ESPN NBA insider Chard Ford's, had Wiggins and Parker split at going to the Philadelphia 76ers at the third pick, that was prior to Embiid's foot fracture and is not the case any longer. The chances are still high that Embiid—whose ceiling is commended throughout the league—is still a lottery pick, but it would seem that Parker and Wiggins will go one-two to the Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Parker was stellar in his lone season at Duke, averaging 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while also registering a PER of 28.7. After announcing his decision to leave college early, the Chicago native signed with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports—also LeBron James’ agent—and has been working out with multiple teams, including this workout that took place back in May in front of all 30 teams.

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Check back in with us throughout the coming week, as we tackle the Jabari vs. Wiggins debate, predict where Jabari, Rodney Hood and Andre Dawkins could land next Thursday, take a look at the best fits for each player and more.