The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to unload one of their big men soon and the leading candidate is Nerlens Noel. However, a new twist has occurred and it may instead be sophomore Jahlil Okafor being shipped instead.
Just recently, Noel was quoted of being unhappy with the minutes he has been getting. Though the meager minutes on the floor was attributed to the fact that he is coming back from knee surgery, the 7-footer believed he could do more if given longer playing spells.
Previously, it seemed that Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor were the future frontliners for the Sixers. But for some reason, the Cameroonian hinted that he wanted to play alongside Noel over Okafor. In fact, he called Noel his best friend, Liberty Ballers reported.
Noel has been known more of as a rim protector and more seasoned than Okafor. Regardless, the key issue seems to be the money that Noel cost the Sixers with the 22-year-old former University of Kentucky standout due for a fresh pact.
He has also been around longer than Okafor who is only in his second year. The 21-year-old center has had his issues off-court but is a proven gem on offense. But as mentioned in rookie scouting reports, Okafor needs plenty of work on the defensive end.
It remains to be seen if the Sixers would now focus on trading Okafor over Noel, Philly.com reported. If so, this could mean a new round of teams knocking on Philly’s door.
The Boston Celtics are still expected to come knocking, possibly the Los Angeles Lakers as well. The Lakers did have that opportunity to select Okafor in the 2015 NBA Draft but elected to go with D’Angelo Russell. Could Mitch Kupchak end up with two young and promising players in the end?
The decision may eventually fall in the hands of coach Brett Brown. The Embiid-Okafor tandem may have fallen short of expectations compared to what an Embiid-Noel partnership has to offer.
The NBA trade deadline is still two months away so anything can happen. Check out the video below analyzing the potential trade moves involving Nerlens Noel.