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Trade Breakdown: Sixers keep Okafor, send Noel to Mavs in surprising move

By Ananth Pandian

Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) warms up before action against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) warms up before action against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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For days, weeks, months and even close to a year, the Philadelphia 76ers have been trying to find a willing trade partner for second-year big man Jahlil Okafor. There were rumors that Okafor could go the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers, yet after the dust settled from Thursday’s trade deadline, the Sixers big man still remained in Philadelphia. A shocking development especially since the Sixers decided to part ways with Nerlens Noel, one of their other young big men.

Noel started the season off injured and has only played in 29 games. He is averaging career-lows in points (8.9), rebounds (5.0), steals (1.0), blocks (0.9) and minutes (19.4). But despite his low averages and the fact that Noel and Joel Embiid only played eight minutes together, his defensive acumen seemed to make more sense along the sensational rookie center. Yet the Sixers decided otherwise, choosing to keep Okafor and trade Noel to the Dallas Mavericks for essentially Justin Anderson.

Here’s the complete trade between Dallas and Philadelphia:

Mavs: Acquire Nerlens Noels

Sixers: Acquire Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut, top-18 2017 first-round pick, which according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe will turn into two second-round picks if Dallas ends up keeping the selection this year.

Mavs

With Dirk Nowitzki in the twilight of his career, the Mavs needed to get some young, blossoming talent and they did that by acquiring Noel. Plus Noel is perhaps the best center prospect on the Mavs since Dallas won a championship with Tyson Chandler in his prime in 2011. Since then, Dallas has had a revolving door of centers that have all been subpar at best.

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Noel should immediately make an impact with Dallas defensively. He is a solid rebounder, good rim protector and his overall athleticism is a godsend to an a Mavs team that has one of the oldest rosters in the league. Noel should also pair nicely with Harrison Barnes, allowing the Mavs to have two solid young players to continue to build around into the future.

Noel is a restricted free-agent this summer though and will likely receive a handful of offers in free agency. Yet since he is restricted, the Mavs could match any offer he gets, which should ensure Noel staying in Dallas for quite some time.

But while the Mavs likely would’ve won this trade simply by acquiring Noel, the relative low assets they gave up to get him, truly make them the clear winner. Anderson is definitely an NBA player and could end up having a semi-long career, yet he doesn’t bring the intangibles and versatility that Noel brings. Bogut’s injury woes continued in Dallas and he was just not a good fit anyways. And the pick Dallas gave up, will likely turn into two second-round picks. That’s not a lot to give up for a player like Noel, who was the No. 6 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and is still two months away from turning 23 years old.

Sixers

With Noel, Embiid and Okafor, the Sixers had a glut at the center position and needed to thin things out, so there is some rationale to this trade. But why the Sixers decided to trade Noel, instead of Okafor is puzzling, especially since Philadelphia didn’t get much back for a potential defensive star. Obviously, the offers available may have forced this hand but this would have been a fair return for Okafor, not so much for Noel.

Their return is basically just Justin Anderson as the Sixers bought out Bogut and the top-18 first-round pick could very likely turn into two second-round picks. The market for Noel may just have not been that good and this is the best the Sixers could’ve got. But again, why even trade Noel when he hasn’t really had a chance to play alongside Embiid?

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If it is any consolation, Anderson has potential. He is only in his second season, is athletic and is capable of shooting the 3-pointer (not well mind you). Anderson has also shown promise on the defensive end and perhaps if he gets more of an opportunity in Philadelphia, he could really develop as a player.

But Anderson is no Noel and the Sixers may end up regretting this deal in the years to come.

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