The Philadelphia 76ers have yet to decide on which big man they will part with though a brewing chemistry between Jahlil Okafor and a returning Joel Embiid could very well hint at a Nerlens Noel departure. The Okafor-Embiid tandem shows a potential power up front though it all depends on who the Sixers get in return.
The Sixers have a loaded frontline in Noel, Embiid, Okafor, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric. Both Okafor and Noel drew interest from the Boston Celtics though plenty of other teams are likely weighing their options as well. But at the end of the day, it may all fall on who other teams would be dangling to get general manager Bryan Colangelo to agree.
If there is a department that Sixers are interested in improving on, it would be their guard spots. With a logjam up front, Philly has the luxury of disposing anyone on their end except perhaps for Simmons. Though the rookie will be out for a couple of months, his flexibility is something Colangelo and coach Brett Brown would like to keep.
The Sixers get the chance to see how Embiid and Okafor can function, potentially giving Brown lots of options. That includes more spacing for their offensive skill sets, CSN Philly reported. Their presence provides an advantage for the other and Embiid is aware of that possibility.
“I’ve always thought that if you want to put your best defender on [Okafor], that’s going to leave me open. If you want to put your small defender on me, that leaves him open. We complement each other pretty well,” Embiid said.
If all turns out well, the Sixers may finally be able to start searching for that missing piece – a point guard. The latest word on that is that Philly is seriously considering Tyus Jones of the Minnesota Timberwolves, ironically a good friend and former teammate of Okafor at Duke, Philly.com reported.
The report also adds that the T-Wolves are open to moving Jones via trade meaning it may all boil down to who Colangelo dangles. Nerlens Noel could be a possibility though the Sixers could offer some other players on their roster.
Check out some of the highlights on Nerlens Noel in the video below.