NBA rumors: Celtics, Sixers talking Jahlil Okafor trade?

In the ongoing NBA trade rumors, it seems the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are still discussing a trade involving big man Jahlil Okafor.

The NBA rumors are still ongoing with the regular season still months away. One of the possible trades that has been discussed before and seems to still be part of the conversation is a swap involving the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers for Jahlil Okafor. The teams nearly got a deal done on draft night but it never came to fruition. However, there’s still hope this will get done.

According to Philly.com in their recent report, the two Eastern Conference teams have “kept the door open to get a deal done before the start of the season.” Boston is considered “more likely” to go after Okafor instead of All-Star players Russell Westbrook or Blake Griffin, at this point.

For the 76ers, moving Okafor would help them clear up the lock jam of post players currently on the roster. Other talents include Nerlens Noel, Carl Landry, the veteran Elton Brand and injured prospect Joel Embiid. This is a team looking ahead with their recent top draft pick, Ben Simmons, and trying to get the pieces in place for a much better squad than Philadelphia has seen in several seasons.

For the Celtics, it would mean adding an additional post player to bolster to an already talented lineup that has now made the playoffs the past two seasons. Originally, the Sixers had been trying desperately to move Okafor or Noel to the C’s in exchange for their No. 3 draft pick. Boston ended up taking Jaylen Brown from California there.

The Celtics realize Okafor doesn’t come without a history of trouble. While the 6-foot-11, 257-pounder has averaged 17.5 points, seven boards and 1.5 blocks per game so far in his young career, he’s also been in several publicized fights. Ironically, those occurred in the streets of Boston back in Thanksgiving of last year. They’d clearly want him to keep his image clean while also contributing to the team’s success.

The Celtics apparently wanted Nerlens Noel more than Jahlil Okafor so it will be interesting to see if this deal ever takes place. Adding Okafor along with their recent acquisition, big man Al Horford, could potentially catapult the Celtics into the top three of the Eastern Conference.

As for the Sixers, it would help clear up one major headache as they look towards the future of Ben Simmons and other young talents on their roster. Still, one has to wonder if Okafor will become a headache off the court in “Beantown.”

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