The Philadelphia 76ers are shopping center Jahlil Okafor. One team that reportedly has interesting in Okafor is the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Philadelphia 76ers are 18-32 through their first 50 games of the 2016-17 NBA season. They’ve already won eight more games than they did all of last season. Philadelphia has a budding superstar in rookie center Joel Embiid. This team is trending in the right direction, but desperately needs to unload one of its many frontcourt players to open up the floor.
According to USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick, the 76ers are speaking with the New Orleans Pelicans about a trade involving center Jahlil Okafor. Philadelphia wants a first-round pick for Okafor from New Orleans.
Sixers & Pelicans in talks about sending Jahlil Okafor to New Orleans. Philly pushing for NO 1st rounder. Story coming at @USATODAYsports
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 6, 2017
With Embiid shining in 2016-17, it seemed inevitable that 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo would ship either Okafor or power forward/center Nerlens Noel out of town before the 2017 NBA trade deadline.
Okafor is a solid, low-post scorer, but has not proven to be a defensive stalwart like Embiid or Noel have become. It’s understandable that Colangelo wants a first-round pick for Okafor, as his predecessor Sam Hinkie used the No. 3 overall pick on Okafor coming out of Duke in 2015.
While New Orleans is a franchise mostly bereft of talent, why do the Pelicans want Okafor in the first place? The Pelicans have a star power forward/center in Anthony Davis. All Okafor would do is clog the paint alongside Davis.
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Perhaps Pelicans general manager wants to upgrade the center position with Davis clearly as the club’s power forward? Frankly, Okafor would be an upgrade over veteran center Omer Asik. However, giving up a first round pick for a player that may only be a rotational player on a good team is too much for the Pelicans to part ways with. It’s a strange trade proposition, but it could go down between New Orleans and Philadelphia.