Jahlil Okafor (Photo : Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers could send Jahlil Okafor to the Chicago Bulls for rookie Denzel Valentine as the Philly attempts to unload a piece from their loaded frontcourt lineup.
Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo admitted he may have to trade one of their big men to address the 76ers' frontcourt logjam, insisting about the possibility of Philadelphia being a better team by distributing their talents.
"I think we can be a better basketball team if we can distribute that talent better. Maybe take one of those assets and address other needs on the roster," Colangelo told Sirius XM NBA Radio.
"I think right now it's best to say we like all of them, we want to see if we can make the most out of each of them. At the end of the day, the reality says one has to go at some point but only when the deal is right."
With Dario Saric finally joining the 76ers and Ben Simmons in their fold, it seems inevitable they trade either Okafor or Nerlens Noel, who both have been in the heat of trade talks in the past few months. But there is a growing sense it goes down to the latter getting traded, with Okafor having more value in the trade market.
According to The Ringer's Jonathan Tjarks, one possible destination the 76ers may consider is the Chicago Bulls, who could host another homecoming following Dwyane Wade's decision to play for Chicago.
In Tjarks' trade scenario, the 76ers send Okafor to the Bulls for Denzel Valentine and Doug McDermott, who could space the floor playing alongside Simmons.
"Okafor wouldn't be a great fit with the Bulls' collection of older, ball-dominant guards who can't space the floor, but he would be the final piece in a lineup guaranteed to drive Fred Hoiberg insane," Tjarks wrote.
"More importantly (and reasonably), his pairing with Bobby Portis would make for an interesting frontcourt, together forming solid building blocks for a team going nowhere fast."
The Bulls have a glaring need to fill their frontcourt with a scoring big man after the team lost Pau Gasol to free agency this summer. Bringing in Okafor would give them a reliable scorer inside the paint, covering up Robin Lopez's lack of offensive prowess.
On the other hand, Valentine and McDermott would instantly address the 76ers' need of shooting guards to complement Simmons' playmaking abilities.
However, unless the Bulls show genuine interest in acquiring Okafor, it is unlikely they give up either of the two aforementioned players.
McDermott has shown he is capable of helping the Bulls off the bench after significantly improving his game over the past season. The 2014 11th overall pick, who was acquired from the Denver Nuggets, averaged 9.4 points a game, while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, Valentine, whom the Bulls just signed to a deal, could learn many things from Wade and become the team's top shooting guard if ever Wade leaves Chicago next summer. He averaged just under 12 points and five rebounds in four games with the Bulls during the summer league, but has shown the potential to fit well in Hoiberg's up-tempo offense.
There is no telling Okafor's next destination, or if he would actually remain with the 76ers next season. But if there price is right, the 76ers would surely budge in trading away Okafor.
