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Philadelphia 76ers reportedly shopping Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel

By Dan Schmelzer

Jan 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) and center Jahlil Okafor (8) react after a score against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) and center Jahlil Okafor (8) react after a score against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Prior to making a decision with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers are shopping both Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.

According to Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Philadelphia 76ers are exploring the trade market for young big men Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel prior to the 2016 NBA Draft.

“Sources told ESPN that the Sixers are determined to gauge the trade market for both Okafor and Noel and are increasingly likely to move at least one of them in conjunction with the draft,” the ESPN writers reported.

The Sixers hold the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Whether they take Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram (Simmons is reportedly the favorite), the 76ers will be adding yet another big player to the mix.

With Okafor and Noel already on the roster, along with the hopeful return of Joel Embiid from injury and the possibility of Dario Saric coming across the pond, all of the 76ers’ best young talent players are big men. It would make sense for the 76ers to try to trade some of these post players for a promising talent at the guard positions.

Stein and Ford also mention that Okafor is the more likely of the two to be traded, but the “Sixers are known to be considering a wide range of possibilities.”

Okafor showed some nice upside as an offensive post player as a rookie last season, but he had some issues off of the court that were less than ideal. Also, his athletic upside is limited and Noel is the much better defensive player with some nice upside on the offensive side of the court as well.

Both players should be able to bring back a nice return for the Sixers, but losing Noel’s defensive presence would be a tough pill to swallow on the court.

It is going to be extremely interesting to see what the 76ers do here this offseason. They have a lot of young talent at their disposal and plenty of options to improve their product on the court. It could all begin with a trade of either Noel or Okafor.

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