Emmanuel Mudiay Injury: Updates on NBA Prospect's Ankle and Future in China

After a tremendous start to his professional clear, Emmanuel Mudiay's future with the Guangdong Southern Tigers is suddenly very murky. 

According to sources cited by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Chinese team is set to replace the burgeoning star with NBA veteran Will Bynum:

Mudiay, who elected to forego college and sign a $1.2 million deal overseas, has missed the last four games with a sprained ankle. As Wojnarowski explains, that leaves his status with the team up in the air:

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Chinese teams are allowed only two American players on the roster, but Bynum can replace Mudiay as the teenage American star is rehabbing his injury, sources said.

It is possible that Guangdong could release Mudiay and pay him the balance of his contract, or hold onto the teenager and watch how Bynum impacts the team until Mudiay's ankle allows him to return to the lineup.

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Before his injury, Mudiay, a 6'5" point guard with tremendous athleticism, was averaging 17.7 points, six rebounds and six assists per game, only strengthening his stance as a potential top-three pick in June's draft. 

This serves as a potential speed bump, however. If the 18-year-old is released, Wojnarowski suggests he will return home to train, meaning NBA teams will have no more chances to scout him during live games. 

His talent is clear, and he has a bright NBA future no matter how this situation plays out, but that's the kind of thing that could make some teams at the very top of the draft slightly weary.