Well, we all saw this coming. The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of angry players, a lot of angry fans, and a rather dumb general manager. Bryan Colangelo would have to be blind to not have seen this coming, but alas, here we are. All three big men in Philly are healthy, and maybe one of those three, who happens to be running away with the Rookie of the Year award, is happy.
Joel Embiid has asserted himself as one of the best centers in the NBA already, but the Sixers front office still insist on throwing Jahlil Okafor next to him in starting lineups like a wrong piece in a puzzle while Nerlens Noel, fresh off of an injury lay-off, stews on the bench. Noel’s mad at his lack of playing time, Okafor’s mad because he’s not the first scoring option on a bad team and does not fit the style of play, and Embiid is mad that Okafor can’t play defense or move without the ball.
With all of this anger on the roster, it’s time for us to look at possible trade packages for Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel to clean things up in the Philadelphia frontcourt.
Jahlil Okafor to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Timberwolves receive: Jahlil Okafor
Sixers receive: Zach LaVine
A straight up swap for two young stars who get overlooked because of their exceptional teammates, this trade would benefit both players. Okafor would get to play the five in Minnesota with Karl-Anthony Towns spreading the floor and showing off his range, and his defense would look like much less of a liability with solid perimeter defenders in Ricky Rubio and Andrew Wiggins stopping the ball on the outside. LaVine would be the lead guard in Philly as Ben Simmons recovers from injury, and his shooting and slashing ability would be complemented by Joel Embiid’s offensive versatility.
Jahlil Okafor to the Boston Celtics
Celtics receive: Jahlil Okafor
Sixers receive: Avery Bradley
A trade almost identical to the proposed one with the Timberwolves, the Sixers would be getting an aggressive perimeter defender who can shoot the rock well. Okafor would let Boston slow down their offense and give Al Horford the ability to pop out and spread the offense. Additionally, a pick-and-roll combination of Okafor and Isaiah Thomas would be spectacular, as Okafor’s footwork in the paint would be a great complement to Thomas’ quickness and ability to fight through larger defenders.
Damian Lillard would love this trade. Shipping CJ McCollum to Philadelphia would give him license to shoot the ball 30 times per game, and Noel’s defensive prowess would let Lillard relax a little on that side of the floor. Noel would function as a DeAndre Jordan-esque player for Portland, as he would stay in the paint on both ends and be the janitor, cleaning the glass and swatting away shots. McCollum and Embiid would be a great tandem for Philadelphia, as McCollum would be the main ball-handler as Simmons recovers. Either the two could run the pick-and-roll, or McCollum could hit Embiid on the perimeter in a dribble-drive offense. Plus, the Blazers would get an immediate-impact rookie in 2018 who could be a good role player for them.
Nerlens Noel to the Golden State Warriors
Warriors receive: Nerlens Noel, 2018 unprotected first round pick, 2019 unprotected first round pick
Sixers receive: Klay Thompson
Well, this one is going to be hard to justify for Golden State, but if they do not want to watch Zaza Pachulia let average big men drop 30 against them on a nightly basis, then this is a good trade that will also help the Warriors build for the future. Klay Thompson will finally be able to shoot as much as possible, and when Joel Embiid learns to pass the ball, those two will be one of the most dangerous combinations in the league. As explained in the Portland trade proposal, Noel, if he can gain some muscle mass, will be Golden State’s DeAndre Jordan, mainly tasked with protecting the rim and shutting down their opponents’ big men. Noel is the missing piece for Golden State, and even though they would have to lose Klay Thompson to make it happen, they still would have the two best pure scorers in the league in Durant and Curry, so not too much would be lost here. Additionally, we know that Golden State’s scouting department is good as they nabbed Draymond Green in the second round, so they will most likely be able to make good use of the two picks.