Report on Embiid could impact Sixers' draft

Potential overall No.1 pick Joel Embiid's health came into question Friday when conflicting reports surfaced about his physical with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who own the first pick in the June 26 NBA draft.

The former Kansas center was said to be 100 percent over the stress fracture in his lower back that kept him out of the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. The 7-footer from Cameroon even wowed NBA executives and coaches in a private workout in Santa Monica, Calif., in late May.

But according to ESPNCleveland's Tony Rizzo, Embiid's meeting on Wednesday with the Cavaliers, who currently hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, raised red flags. Speaking on WKNR/850-AM in Cleveland on Friday, Rizzo said Embiid's team physical "did not go well" and that the 20-year-old has a "number of physical ailments," according to his sources.

Fox Sports Ohio, however, said later on Friday that its sources reported Embiid's physical went just fine.

Embiid, who left Kansas after his freshman year, was expected to go first overall to the Cavs. The belief was that the Bucks would then draft either Kansas swingman Andrew Wiggins or Duke small forward Jabari Parker.

The Sixers most likely would then land whichever swingman Milwaukee passed on. But Wiggins and Parker could both be off the boards by No. 3 if Rizzo's report were true.

That would leave the Sixers with a tough decision to make: gamble on Embiid, pick someone else at three, or trade the pick.

ESPN, citing an unnamed source, reported that Wiggins will work out with the 76ers on Monday. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, citing an NBA source, reported that Wiggins will work out for the Cavaliers next Wednesday and Parker will do the same on Friday.

Kentucky power forward Julius Randle refuted the previous day's reports that he needs surgery on his foot after the draft. Randle answered Yahoo.com's Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter: "I never do this but it was brought to me and it's crazy how people put stories out there and have no clue what they are talking about. . . . No disrespect but check with the actual source next time before you put something like that out there."