Fansided

Three reasons the Philadelphia 76ers are the real winners of the DeMarcus Cousins trade

By Noah Torr

Jan 20, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to a non call during the third quarter of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 93-92. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to a non call during the third quarter of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 93-92. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 1, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) passes the ball during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the 76ers 113-95. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) passes the ball during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the 76ers 113-95. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

3. A new market for Jahlil Okafor

The 76ers currently have 3 centers on the roster and they have made a decision to stick with only two: Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. That leaves Okafor as the odd man out which makes for an awkward situation.

Okafor is receiving minutes right now because Embiid is injured, but that will not last forever. Embiid is the future of the franchise and that is common knowledge to everyone right now. And it seems as if Noel has found a home in Philly after a rocky start to the season.

Okafor is being actively shopped right now by the 76ers and with the deadline fast approaching, it is unclear if Okafor will be on the team by the 23rd. It’s fair to Okafor to move him to another team so that he can receive minutes because he is a unique offensive talent, even though his defense is subpar at best.

The good news for Philly is that teams that need a good center are now going to be more aggressive to try and acquire Okafor. Now that Cousins is off the market, teams that are still looking for a center will have to be more aggressive in their tactics and that bodes well the 76ers.

The Pelicans were the main pursuers of Okafor originally, but there are still other teams out there who would be willing to throw their hat into the mix.

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