UPDATE: While Yahoo’s initial report said NBA teams were aware of Julius Randle‘s right foot issues and considered it a “miner issue, it now seems league executives are worried because the initial surgery in high school didn’t heal correctly, and it might affect his draft stock.
One executive told Jeff Goodman at ESPN.com, “This is an issue. It didn’t heal right.”
Goodman goes on to add the injury “could affect his draft stock.”
Multiple teams considering Randle in and out of draft lottery have his medical info and expect him to have surgery on foot. It is an issue.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 12, 2014
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NBA teams are worried that Randle failing to undergo a relatively minor procedure this summer could leave him open to major problems later.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 12, 2014
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PREVIOUSLY: Former Kentucky forward, Julius Randle, is expected to have surgery on his right foot, league sources tell Yahoo! Sports. Randle is considered a lottery pick in this month’s NBA Draft, and if the report is accurate, he would miss summer league in July.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports:
University of Kentucky forward Julius Randle, considered a top 10 pick, likely needs surgery on his right foot after the NBA draft in June, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The procedure is expected to keep Randle out six to eight weeks this summer, sources said, but there’s a strong expectation within front offices that he’ll be cleared for the start of training camp in the fall.
In this scenario, Randle would miss rookie summer league in July.
Randle, who is 6-foot-9, is still planning workouts with teams, including Boston on Friday, league sources said.
Woj goes on to note that as a high school senior in Texas two years ago, Randle missed three months when he fractured his right foot. A screw was placed in the foot that needs to be removed, sources tell Yahoo.
While it’s disconcerting Randle will likely miss summer league, he didn’t experience any pain in his foot whle becoming a third-team All-American and SEC Rookie of the Year during his lone freshman season at Kentucky.
League executives don’t expect Randle to drop because of the injury, and several informed Yahoo they consider it a “minor issue.” One Eastern Conference executive informed Yahoo Randle “could drop some in the first round, but I don’t think it will be because of the injury.”
Most teams were informed of Randle’s status at the pre-draft combine in Chicago, and some were aware of the issue even earlier.
Dime’s latest mock draft has Randle going with the No. 5 pick to Utah. The latest DraftExress mock draft has him going No. 7 to the Lakers and ESPN’s Chad Ford has him at that same No. 7 spot on his Big Board.
(Yahoo)
Will the surgery cause Randle to drop in the Draft?
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