Jahlil Okafor (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers could trade Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric to the Boston Celtics, with Philadelphia still having dilemmas on their big men logjam.
The 76ers have no doubt a very young talented lineup for this season, and while it remains to be seen whether the team's core of youngsters would gel, Philly's immediate future looks brighter than the previous dismal years.
But as much as the 76ers want to keep their core of young talents intact, it seems inevitable they move a piece or two from their loaded frontcourt rotation. With Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid finally in the fold, the 76ers could elect to trade their most expendable asset, which could be Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric, according to SB Nation's Kevin O'Connor.
In O'Connor's trade scenario, the 76ers would send both Okafor and Saric to the Celtics for future draft picks or a handful of equal young prospects like Terry Rozier, Jordan Mickey, RJ Hunter or James Young.
"The player the Celtics could be most realistically targeting is 76ers center Jahlil Okafor," O'Connor noted.
"There have been no indications that the Sixers will consider trading Saric, but with their depth at forward and center, he doesn't seem like an untouchable."
There are rumors around the league that the 76ers could be trading rookie center Jahlil Okafor, who has been consistently linked to trade talks, particularly with the Celtics. The 20-year-old center admitted he was upset over speculations he could leave Philadelphia after his rookie year with the team, but it seems a possibility, considering the 76ers' frontcourt logjam.
On the other hand, Dario Saric is expected to sign with the Sixers and join them this season, but a recent report from the Bucks County Courier Times' Tom Moore suggested the Croatian star may wait until next year before he begins his NBA career with the 76ers, citing money and playing time as the main reasons for his delayed professional debut.
"He makes 1.5 million Euros ($1.66 million US) playing in Turkey," Moore's league source claimed. "It's a comfortable living. Why come over and risk that and go back to the rookie-scale contract when you've completed two-thirds of not having to be on the rookie scale? This is before the draft."
"He's not coming over to be a backup. Why would he come over now? How is he going to play?"
Considering Okafor's growing frustration and Saric's potential reluctance to play for the 76ers, O'Connor believes it is "plausible to at least consider dealing them."
The Celtics were able to secure their star this summer after signing Al Horford to a four-year deal. However, the team still needs all the help they can get to contend for a title and challenge emerging super-teams in the league.
Okafor would give the Celtics another inside scorer to complement Horford and slide the latter into his natural role at the power forward position, while Saric could provide the outside shooting Boton needs.
It is unlikely the 76ers trade two of their young big men for a number of young talents, but the team's frontcourt logjam is something Philadelphia may consider to address, and surely, something's got to give.
