The Sixers NBA Draft strategy was thrown in limbo Thursday when reports surfaced that Kansas center Joel Embiid suffered a broken foot.

Or was it?

Last year Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie orchestrated a trade that sent All-Star point guard to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for center Nerlens Noel and what became the 10th pick in this year's NBA Draft set for next Thursday.

Noel of course tore his ACL during his lone season at Kentucky, and was the consensus No. 1 pick before the injury, but slid to the sixth selection and did not play a single minute as a rookie in 2013.

Yet, in spite of the injury the Sixers pulled the trigger on the trade anyway and during a radio interview with Mike Missanelli of 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, 76ers head coach Brett Brown hinted that a similar move is not out of the question with Embiid this time around as well.

"I think Sam [Hinkie] is very calculated and very good at what he does," Brown said in an evasive radio appearance. "He did it before, he may decide to do it again."

Embiid averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during his lone season at Kansas.

The consensus No. 1 pick could have his stock slide because of the injury which means Embiid could be on the board when the Sixers go on the clock if the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks are scared off by the injury and opt to select Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and Duke's Jabari Parker ahead of the 76ers selection.

"I only heard about it recently during one of our draft workouts," Brown said of Embiid's injury. "Once people can sort of gather more information but as we speak it's really just the disappointment you feel for Joel, it's a situation that will unfold and the severity of it or lackthereof will become apparent soon."

Regardless of whether the Sixers choose Embiid, Wiggins, Parker or even Australian point guard Dante Exum with the third overall pick, it's becoming evident that Brown hopes to build a franchise in a similar fashion to the dynasty he was an assistant coach of with the San Antonio Spurs who just knocked off the Miami Heat in the NBA finals.

"It was all validation of a system and a process that I so strongly believe in," Brown said of the Spurs NBA Finals win in five games. "It's just a hell of a story. If you look at the way we got knocked out with them last year, that was borderline knockout punch depression stage. Somehow Parker is that good and the players are that strong when it comes to competitiveness and maturity that they found a way to win. That was a dismantling of a great group of players and former champions of the Miami Heat."

Follow Matt Lombardo on Twitter: @MattLombardo975