NBA Trade Rumors: Emeka Okafor could draw interest before trade deadline
By Josh Hill
The new year means that the clock has really started to tick on the February trade deadline which is now fast approaching. We’ve heard players names get tossed out into rumors, like Omer Asik, Andrew Bynum and others, but the closer we get to the deadline the more players we can expect to become involved in rumors.
One of those names is Phoenix Suns center Emeka Okafor. He’s a name that hasn’t yet been widely brought up but as teams begin to look for plug-and-play trade bait to bolster depth and shoot for playoff positioning, Okafor’s name might start to pop up a lot more often.
ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton speculates as much in his piece looking forward to the 2014 portion of this NBA season. He doesn’t specifically say Okafour will be the focus of trade talks, but there’s a possibility of it happening. Pelton also points out that the Suns might elect to not trade Okafor and keep him for their own playoff run rather than acquire a piece for the same reason.
The trade deadline isn’t until 3pm ET on February 20th, so there’s time for both Okafor to comeback from injury and prove his worth or for the Suns to rise or fall thusly effecting his trade value to them. But he remains a name to keep an eye on as the deadline approaches and could be wearing a new uniform come March.