So Embiid's agent is Arn Tellem? Isn't he the guy who steered other teams away from picking Kobe? Is there a possibility that he's trying to spare Embiid the fate of being picked by Cleveland? Or, even possibly any team picking until they get all the way down to the Lakers again?
Probably not in this case. The difference in salary over four years between #1 and #7 is about $10 million. It's one thing to force a player somewhere 1-2 spots later, especially a little later in the round when the salaries are a bit flatter, but he'd make about double going #1 vs #7. Keep in mind with Kobe that:
A) The Lakers traded Vlade Divac near the prime of his career, and Vlade was no slouch. It's not like Kobe fell far or anything.
B) Kobe was a high schooler. Kobe and KG are what made teams willing to pick high schoolers earlier. Before that, they weren't seen as smart top 10 picks. (And now they're banned.)