Jahlil Okafor (Photo : Getty Images Sport)
The Boston Celtics failed to make a big splash at the 2016 NBA Draft but the offseason is still far from over.
In an extensive interview with Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Danny Ainge and the Celtics brass shared that they still have a long way to go before they call it a day.
Getting Kevin Durant would have been the clincher, but since they only got Al Horford (which is a significant achievement in itself), the grade is still incomplete. Ainge laid out some of his goals for the rest of the offseason and it's close to what we expect.
"We need more shooting. We have some guys who are versatile and can play center and 4 [power forward]. We can use a stronger center, and those are the two biggest things. Maybe another ball-handler as well," Ainge said.
Focusing on the need for a "stronger center" the easy guess was DeMarcus Cousins. There are further clues given by Kevin O'Connor of CSNNE. He quoted Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck when he revealed some info on a trade negotiation.
"Well, I feel the phones are definitely ringing. Danny is definitely talking to people for sure, and has indicated that our work is not yet done," Grousbeck said. "We were just talking about a trade earlier today where the asking price from the other team was for a difficult player, and I'm not going to say who, but it's dropped pretty significantly since draft night,"
O'Connor noted that Cousins as a trade target is just too risky. The Kings would ask for a point guard (since they let Rondo leave) and that could be Marcus Smart or Terry Rozier. Even at the supposed "discounted" price, it would definitely include the Brooklyn Nets pick swap in 2017 and/or the unprotected pick in 2018, which the Celtics are reluctant to trade.
There are also caveats to acquiring Cousins. The effects on team chemistry, especially on a young team are probably too risky. The Celtics signed Al Horford and one of the reasons was he supposedly didn't want to play with the volatile Dwight Howard. Cousins is very similar to what Horford tried to avoid.
Thus, O'Connor suggested Jahlil Okafor. With Al Horford, the pressure is off on the need for a franchise level center that has to contribute immediately. Okafor can develop immensely under Brad Stevens and being surrounded by better teammates, specifically at the point.
Okafor can probably be obtained by trading a point guard, (Rozier/Smart) and probably other assets like second round picks. The Celtics seem to be agreeable to a trade as long they keep the Brooklyn picks.
The conclusion is that Okafor "makes a great deal of sense" if the price is down. He is "a low-cost, high-upside player that would still allow them to make noise in the trade and free agent market next summer," O'Connor stated.
