Embiid has successful foot surgery

Joel Embiid had two screws placed in his right foot during surgery Friday to repair a stress fracture that could cause the top prospect to fall in next week’s NBA Draft.

Dr. Richard Ferkel said in a statement that the surgery went well and he is confident Embiid will be able to return to the court after “appropriate healing.” Ferkel did not put a timetable on the recovery, but it is expected to be a long process.

Embiid was widely considered one of the top three prospects in the draft and a serious candidate to be chosen No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the injury could turn some teams away from the versatile big man from Kansas.

Embiid’s agent, Arn Tellem, said in a statement that the 7-foot center underwent the procedure at Southern California Orthopedic Institute.

“Two screws were inserted into the navicular bone in Joel Embiid’s right foot,” Ferkel said in the statement released by Tellem. “The surgery went very well and I’m confident that after appropriate healing he will be able to return to NBA basketball. Joel tolerated the surgery without difficulty and will begin his rehabilitation in the near future.”

Embiid is not attending next Thursday’s draft because he can’t fly for 10 days to two weeks post-surgery, Tellem told ESPN.com on Thursday.

A native of Cameroon, Embiid missed the postseason in March with a stress fracture in his back, which some teams believe could be a chronic issue. He averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks as a freshman last season.

Embiid’s latest injury could push the Cavaliers toward Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins or Duke forward Jabari Parker.