Around the Kingdom: Joel Embiid, Mike Moustakas, Justin Houston, and Michael Sam

Joel Embiid’s foot injury has thrown the top of next week’s NBA draft into chaos. Once thought of as the favorite to become the 1st overall pick, Embiid’s foot injury combined with the back woes that kept him out of the NCAA tournament, is now a cause for concern. Joel Embiid could slide out of the top 3, which opens up the possibility a team could trade up for the for Kansas star.

The Royals winning streak came to an end Thursday afternoon with their 2-1 loss to the Tigers. Despite the set-back, the Royals remain in 1st place and fan interest in the team extends way beyond Kansas City. There’s a growing sense around baseball that the Royals are a serious playoff contender for the first time in 20 years.

The Chiefs announced their training camp schedule on Thursday. The regular season creeps ever closer for football-starved fans.

Meanwhile, MU gains recognition for how they handed Michael Sam‘s announcement that he was gay during the 2013 season.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

• Grantland –  Andrew Sharp examines the impact Joel Embiid’s stress fracture will have on the top of the NBA draft

"We’ll see. This injury seems like terrible news for Embiid, but if he slides in the draft, that’s not necessarily as bad as it sounds. He could end up in a better situation, with less pressure, and without the horrible Cleveland karma hanging over his head."

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

• Kings of Kauffman – Brian Henry asserts that Mike Moustakas is still broken
• Fox Sports – Jon Morosi contends the Royals could widen the gap between them and the Detroit Tigers with a smart trade. He reports that a major-league source claims the Royals are interested in Tampa’s Ben Zobrist
• Kansas City Star – Sam Mellinger argues the right now is the best time to be a Royals fan

"The Royals have only been at this point, with hope past Memorial Day, a precious few times in the past generation. It’s been at least 20 years since they’ve been here with this much realism, this much substance. This is the best time in recent memory to be a Royals fan, and there are grown fans who will have to ask their fathers what the rest of this summer will be like if things fall into place."

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 

• Arrowhead Addict – Ben Nielsen with the Training Camp dates and times
• Arrowhead Pride – Weighs in on the sign Justin Houston or Alex Smith first debate:

"For that reason, it doesn’t make sense to worry about extending Smith right now. He’s on the hook for this year for a very, very good price ($8 million dollar cap hit). He’s not a guy who is going to hold out or be a locker room issue if he’s not extended. And most importantly, even if Smith goes bananas in 2014 (which obviously we’re all hoping for) and has an incredible year, it won’t result in him being any more expensive than he already would be."

MISSOURI TIGERS

• Kansas City Star – Tod Palmer reports that Missouri wins the SEC Sportsmanship award for how they handled Michael Sam’s announcement last season

There you have it KC fans—the news Around the Kingdom.