Boston Celtics: 4 possible trade ideas
4. Philadelphia 76ers: Jahlil Okafor
Why the Celtics complete this trade:
The Philadelphia 76ers have too many big men on their roster, and that is an easy assessment. It also has been very clear that Jahlil Okafor and the Sixers are not on good terms. He has come out with a statement recently about how he feels about the current situation.
Jahlil Okafor just wants to move on from Philly. pic.twitter.com/9XeBNLByRk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 27, 2017
ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that the price for Okafor has dropped to just one second round pick, which seems like a bargain for a player of his caliber. I don’t know how many players you will find in the second round with the potential to become a good role player or even better.
The one big thing that really slows Okafor from being a good player is his ability to play defense. According to NBA.com, his defensive rating has not been pretty. In three seasons, he has recorded a defensive rating of 108.7, 109.5 and 124.3. It has only gotten worse since entering the league, but the 124.3 is a little deceiving because he has only played in two games this season.
Lucky for both the Celtics and Okafor, Boston has the best defense in the NBA. They’re ranked No. 1 in defensive rating at 98.4. But wait, it gets even better: The Celtics’ bench ranks No. 1 in defensive rating as well, sitting at 97.2.
So for both Okafor and the Celtics, they can continue to have great defense, without the presence of his defense hurting them. He’s only 21, so he could come out and eventually learn a few things with an increase in minutes and maybe pick up a few tricks from his defensive-minded teammates.
His age is surely a bonus, because you’re not sending away a second round pick for an older player. You are, however, getting a player who ended up in the wrong situation. He was the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and was even considered for the No. 1 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, until people around Flip Saunders persuaded him to change his mind and draft Karl-Anthony Towns.
In his rookie year, he was putting up fantastic numbers offensively:
| Season | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 30.0 | 7.5 | 14.7 | .508 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .167 | 2.5 | 3.7 | .686 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 17.5 |
| 2016-17 | 22.7 | 4.8 | 9.4 | .514 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 3.2 | .671 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 11.8 | |
| 2017-18 | 12.5 | 2.0 | 4.5 | .444 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .500 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Career | 26.2 | 6.1 | 12.0 | .510 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .167 | 2.3 | 3.4 | .677 | 5.9 | 1.2 | 14.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/1/2017.
In his rookie season, he was able to put up 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. If it wasn’t for Towns, he could have been the Rookie of the Year. Remember that in his second season, his minutes decreased because he was moved to the bench. He was still able to put up 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Besides, the Celtics need his offensive skills, as their bench ranks 22nd in the league in scoring. Okafor can come off the bench and provide the Celtics with a much-needed presence in the scoring column.
He is still just 21 years old, with so much to prove. Why not send away a second round pick for a player who has a chip on his shoulder?
Why the Sixers complete this trade:
The Sixers’ reasons are fairly simple. They have no need for him anymore as that is why he hasn’t been getting any playing time. They get what they want and that is a second round pick, as well as a much-needed end to a never-ending drama. Both parties want to separate, so it’s not hard to see why they would accept this trade.