The Philadelphia 76ers have a slight conundrum on their hands. Over the past three seasons, they have used their top pick on a big-man. Now they have a trio of Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, and Jahlil Okafor which leads to a log-jam at those positions if Embiid can finally get healthy.
That problem has led to some speculating that the team could look to trade one of their big-men for more assets. According to Philly.com, the likely candidate is Okafor, and the Sixers may try to move him as early as this summer:
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.
Okafor has had an up-and-down rookie season. The Duke product has showcased the offensive game, especially in the low-post, that had some thinking he was the most sure prospect entering the 2015 season. On the defensive end, however, the center has been a total liability. Of course, he is young and will have time to improve, but it seems difficult to see him ever become an above-average player at that end of the floor.
This is all not to mention the fit between Okafor and the other bigs in Philadelphia. As mentioned in the above quote, he and Embiid are both centers and despite Embiid’s perceived shooting ability potentially making the fit work on offense, the defensive end would be a completely different monster with neither able to guard quicker players on the perimeter.
Okafor’s fit with Noel has already been experimented with. Noel matches up better with quicker power forwards and his shot-blocking ability can make up for some of Okafor’s shortcomings. However, the two cannot play together on offense, at least at this point, due to a lack of a jumpshot from either player. In fact, with both players on the floor, the Sixers have scored an enormously low 88.8 points per 100 possessions.
Clearly, the 76ers have a bit of a puzzle to solve. Fortunately for them, this is a decent problem to have, with three high-potential players to choose from. Of course, their decision will come down to whether or not Embiid is healthy or will ever be healthy enough to make an impact. The Kansas product has still not played an NBA game and is currently rehabbing in Qatar to hopefully be back sometime next season.
If Embiid does get healthy, the Sixers will eventually have to trade one of their big-men and Okafor seems like the likely candidate due to his inability to play with either of the other two players. It would seem unlikely that he gets traded this early, however, as Embiid is still a giant question mark and natural progression from these players could make Okafor a can’t-miss prospect and one who can coexist with Noel or Embiid. This seems like a problem that can be put off for now before reevaluating the need to trade the rookie.
