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Which One Should The Philadelphia 76ers Trade? Jahlil Okafor Or Nerlens Noel?

By Quentin Haynes

Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) celebrates with center Jahlil Okafor (8) after a score against the Washington Wizards during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) celebrates with center Jahlil Okafor (8) after a score against the Washington Wizards during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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With time before the 2016 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers are exploring trades for Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.

According to Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Philadelphia 76ers will explore trades for centers Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel between now in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Ford also added that the Sixers are looking for another draft pick as they’re “looking for another guard.” This comes just one season after the selection of Okafor third overall. 

A few things to tackle here.

As far as trading one of them, it makes sense with Philadelphia wanting to speed up the rebuilding process, as neither fit together on the floor.

Offensively, both Noel and Okafor function in the same areas, creating very little spacing for guards and forwards to get to the basket and make plays. Okafor is more of a classic big man — a back to the basket, low-post banger. Noel is more of a bouncy roll man who finishes at the rim.

Defensively, it’s no contest. Noel is a much better defender, capable of imposing his will at the rim, but slowing people down on the perimeter as well. Last season, Noel finished 1.03 points saved per 36 minutes, one of 25 players in the league with over 1.0 points saved, via Nylon Calculus. His 53 percent shooting allowed on shots less than six feet was seven percent better than the league average.

As for Okafor, his best defense is his height, but that’s it. Okafor is too flat-footed to defend on the perimeter, while not good enough to truly defend the rim at this point in his young career.

Okafor allowed 50 percent shooting at the rim last season and finished with a point saved per 36 of -0.15. If the defensive numbers remain the same or similar, Okafor is going to have to become a dynamic offensive player to make that work.

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    • That, combined with Okafor having three seasons left on his rookie contract, makes him more likely to be the one that’s traded. 

    However, the tricky part is Ford’s assertion that the 76ers want to get back into the top six of the NBA draft for a guard. General manager Bryan Colangelo already mentioned that he didn’t want to bring in too many rookies, and we’re already looking at Dario Saric’s pending arrival, Joel Embiid and whoever the Sixers select with the first overall pick. 

    The intrigue is that Ford didn’t distinguish which type of guard, as the Sixers need players at both backcourt positions. Acquiring an additional top six draft pick could give them a point guard like Providence’s Kris Dunn or Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, or give them a shooting guard like Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray or Mega Leks guard Timothe Luwawu.

    I like a couple of those guys, but I’m not sure how many of those players are good enough to trade for Okafor or Noel straight up.

    As for the interest between the two, Philadelphia should expect some a handful of teams to bite on both players. Noel is a more prized player, as his ability to defend the rim could fill a need for several teams. However, he’s also a year away from cashing in on a market where teams will have a cap near $100 million to play with.

    Okafor has three years of cheap control, but there’s an irrational fear he might just be Enes Kanter — an offensive powerhouse who might not be able to play long stretches because of his lack of defense.

    Not an awful thing, but certainly something that limits how much you want to pay a player when the time comes. Still, Enes Kanter-caliber offense over the next three years on a rookie contract is nice. 

    If Noel is on the market, it becomes a bit easier. Boston needs a rim protector and has the third overall pick. Toronto sits at nine with Bismack Biyombo hitting free agency.

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    The Magic, stocked with players and the 11th overall pick, could make a huge jump if they acquired Noel to play center. I doubt Orlando would pull the trigger on a Victor Oladipo-for-Nerlens Noel trade, but if I were Philadelphia, I would see if Orlando would do that. 

    Okafor is a bit trickier because of fit. Who has a good enough defensive team to soak up his offensive value while curving his defensive value?

    Again, there’s talk for Boston at No. 3 and it makes some sense for both sides. Boston can hide him some and I think the coaching upgrade to Brad Stevens should help him some. New Orleans has the sixth overall pick and could use help at center.

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    Philadelphia will have several suitors at its door begging to make a move for one of Noel or Okafor. However, they must be careful and try to get someone who can help the backcourt whether it be a draft pick who can come in a play right away or an established player.