Joel Embiid’s foot injury has thrown the entire draft into chaos.
At one point, Embiid appeared likely to become the No. 1 pick. Now, that’s a real longshot.
So, what will the Cavaliers do? Draft Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker?
The Jazz offer another solution to Cleveland’s conundrum.
Joe Kotoch of Pro Basketball Draft:
This draft held a consensus top three players in Embiid, Wiggins and Parker. With his injury, Embiid probably no longer belongs in that top tier.
[MORE: How much money Joel Embiid’s injury will cost him]
Either way, Cleveland would almost certainly be opting to select from the next tier of players, including Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh. That is a drop.
Favors would be a little redundant with Tristan Thompson, though Thompson doesn’t justify keeping his prominent position in perpetuity. Just 22, Favors bring strong interior scoring and defensive tools.
However, Favors will begin his four-year, $48 million contract extension next season. On one hand, he’s locked up. On the other hand, he’s expensive. The Cavaliers can absorb that salary, but it would obviously limit future spending otherwise.
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There’s an old theory: Whichever team got the best player in a trade won the trade. I think it’s a useful guide here.
The No. 5 pick and Favors are nice assets, but neither alone comes close to the value of the No. 1 pick.
In a sport where a single player can have such a huge impact, I’d rather have either Wiggins or Parker than two solid – but lesser – pieces.
