Jahlil Okafor (Photo : Getty Images Sport)
The NBA trade rumors continue for the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that has been looking towards the future since the season began.
With their adherence to "The Process" of Sam Hinkie which had them accumulate the best assets regardless of fit or position, the Sixers top two players (three if one considers Joel Embiid) are all centers.
Thus, despite the denials, most of the league believes the team will definitely trade at least one of them. The hiring of Jerry Colangelo means they would want to compete and the hiring of Mike D'Antoni as an associate coach means they would want to run, and fielding two centers at a time will not hack it.
According to Keith Pompey of Philly.com, the Sixers front office is inclined to send out Jahlil Okafor among their towering trio.
"Similar players, Okafor and Embiid are an unlikely pairing. They are both liabilities guarding athletic power forwards and chasing stretch fours on the perimeter. So the belief is that the Sixers may try to move Okafor this summer if Embiid is healthy. If he isn't, they have to decide between Okafor and Noel."
There are many trade scenarios that could play out with the Rookie of the Year candidate. It was rumored that the Boston Celtics dangled their prized Brooklyn Nets pick for Okafor, but that pick's value is yet undetermined. It can go from first to seventh at this point.
Also, the Sixers only want to accumulate picks because they want either Simmons or Ingram. They already have their own pick, possibly the Lakers pick and even the Sacramento Kings pick as they're probably lottery bound. If they want to compete by next season, they need some veterans in the mix, not another four rookies, even if they're all first rounders.
Thus, Sports Grid had another proposal. Instead of the Boston Celtics, the Sixers could package Okafor to the Indiana Pacers, for no less than Paul George. In their proposed trade, it's Okafor and the Sixers 2017 pick. However, that would probably not be enough. The Pacers, at the very least, would ask for a 2016 pick, possibly the Sixers own. George is their franchise player and would be hard to replace.
However, the Pacers are "stuck" in their development. They are a team that's good enough to stay on the fringe of the playoffs, it would be difficult for them to draft high and get a player of Okafor's caliber. They have the cap space but it's unlikely they become a major free agent destination. Getting Okafor and a mid-lottery pick to add to their own could build them a very decent roster.
For the Sixers, getting George instantly gives them a solid star and if Joel Embiid is as good as hyped, the Sixers are a dangerous team in the East.
