Formal announcement of his decision is said to be expected soon.
According to Yahoo! Sports, potential No.1 overall pick Joel Embiid will declare for the NBA Draft after opting against remaining with Kansas for another year.
The 7-foot center was considering staying for his sophomore season rather than heading straight into the NBA, and while he admitted at the weekend that he still hadn’t made his mind up, the latest reports suggest he will make an official announcement soon.
Embiid has averaged 11.2 points on 63 percent shooting along with 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game this season, while his athleticism and movement have also been highly praised.
However, the competition this year is strong in a deep draft class which also includes the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, but with Embiid joining them in the Draft, it promises to be an exciting night with plenty of decisions needing to be made.
“Kansas star Joel Embiid – a possible No. 1 overall choice – has decided to enter the June NBA draft,” said Yahoo Sports reporter Adrian Wojnarowski.
“A formal announcement on Embiid’s decision is expected soon. In the past week, Embiid has progressed in settling on agent representation, but no final decision has been made.”
Embiid has been absent from the NCAA tournament thus far as a back injury has kept him out of Kansas’ last six games, and it may well be an area of concern moving forward with NBA teams taking a further look at his health.
Nevertheless, with 12 weeks remaining to recover ahead of any potential team examinations and scrutinising of his previous records, Embiid will argue that he is a long-term franchise player that has plenty to offer.
Pre-draft boards have a mixed opinion on how high he will go, as much will depend on the requirements of the top teams while Parker and Wiggins continue to demonstrate their prowess at college level.
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