Sam Hinkie "sniffed opportunity" to pick Joel Embiid

Sam Hinkie has admitted that he "sniffed opportunity" when selecting Joel Embiid in the NBA Draft earlier this week.

The seven-foot center had been linked with the Cleveland Cavaliers after they secured the top pick in the lottery, but they chose Andrew Wiggins instead after Embiid suffered a foot injury.

The Philadelphia 76ers president and general manager told reporters: "I sniffed opportunity. The moment he got hurt, we thought we might get him. We might be just the organisation with just the set of owners, and we might be the one to do it.

"Guess what our approach will be. We'll focus on the long-term health of the player."

Embiid is expected to miss at least four to six months while recovering from surgery to insert two screws into his foot, although some reports suggest that he could miss the entire 2014-15 NBA season.