Report: Joel Embiid to Enter NBA Draft; Self, Embiid Deny Decision Has Been Made

Kansas freshman center Joel Embiid will forgo his sophomore season and enter the NBA draft in June, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Adrian Wojnarowski is usually always dead on in his reports, and this doesn't really come as a surprise.

A formal announcement is expected within the next week or two.

The full Yahoo! story can be read here.

My take is that this is a smart decision. If a kid is going to be a top 3 pick, he has to go. Embiid is currently projected as the #2 pick by Draft Express, only behind Kansas teammate Andrew Wiggins. Chad Ford currently has Embiid third on his Big Board, behind Wiggins and Duke forward Jabari Parker.

This potentially opens the door for 5-star center Myles Turner committing to Kansas, which would solidify a very strong frontcourt for the 2014-2015 season.

UPDATE I:

Embiid has tweeted to KU commit Cliff Alexander that he hasn't made a decision yet. This likely doesn't mean anything, though. WojBombs are not to be taken lightly. I'm sure Embiid just wants to make his decision on his own, at a press conference.

UPDATE II:

Via KUsports.com, Bill Self said:

"I have Jo in my office right now.... He didn't know where that came from. No decision has been made on what he's going to do next year at all. I'm telling you, no decision at all has been made. I think he's still a little ways away from that. That information that was reported did not come from Jo."

Again, this is something that is to be expected. Embiid probably went to Self/KU not knowing that his decision would leak seeking guidance on what to say.

Then again, maybe Embiid really hasn't reached his decision. Unlikely, but possible.

I would remind everyone that Woj is one of the best in the world at what he does, and rarely publishes a report without confirmation from multiple sources.