What would you give up for Jahlil Okafor?

[rzzzzz]

Does Philadelphia have to acquire equal value in return for either Noel or Okafor if Simmons and Embiid or Saric pan out?

Okafor off the board until the Sixers see how he works out with his new best buds: Simmons and 'biid. Noel could be had for less than a top prospect, but the whole "logjam" argument is way overblown. (Were the Celtics desperate to move guards last year?)

[Banks2Pierce]

He's incapable of developing with posters on this board. I apologize. But meanwhile, Olynyk, Smart, Noel, heck, even Nader is allowed to develop and get better. bunch of tards on here.

Basically everyone concedes that he will improve, but his starting point was so low that improvements in passing, rebounding, and defense can still leave him at a below average level. Other 20 year old bigs(M. Turner, Porzingis, Towns, Cousins, Jokic, Nurkic) are at least able to set high baselines to build from. That's the concern.

[ConstableGeneva]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/sadatnaeem1/status/756476955130748928[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/tmoore76ers/status/756501690321436673[/tweet]

[bucknersrevenge]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/sixers/Okafor-to-Boston-not-a-good-deal-for-Sixers.html

EXACTLY.

Not a high priority. And why would he be? He's coming here to be a backup Center. You don't trade important assets for backup development Centers. I like Okafor. Think he may end up having a great career. But once we signed Horford we became no longer a good fit for him.

Backup center?!?! When was it established that he would just be nothing more than a back up center??

No. You misunderstand what I mean. I'm saying on this CURRENT Celtics roster for this next season, he would be a backup Center by virtue of the fact that we have Amir returning and we just signed Horford. Now Amir is up after this year so the following year it could be different but seriously dixie, based on what you know about Brad Stevens so far, who he is, what he looks for in a player, is there any scenario you can envision where Jah beats either of these two guys out for a starters job this coming season?? That's what I mean by "backup".

[bucknersrevenge]

he's not a back up center. That's ridiculous. Guys are speaking about him like he's 32 and on the downside of his career. Everyone other young player in this league is afforded the right and to develop in this league accept Okafor by members on this board. I have no idea why and I can't wrap my head around it. The guy will develop. He'll be a 25 ppg player, easily. i've never heard of a player being able to score 25 ppg and be thought of as a backup center. also, I can't believe people think he wont rebound better as he develops his game. Everyone goes nuts over a 20-10 player. he's 3 rebounds per game away from being a 10 rebound per game guy. So guys are saying he's going to definitively stat at 7 per game or only go the other way, cause that's the lack of respect they're showing the rookie. Like he's incapable of learning how to pick up an extra 3 rebounds per game as he develops. Oh that's right. He's incapable of developing with posters on this board. I apologize. But meanwhile, Olynyk, Smart, Noel, heck, even Nader is allowed to develop and get better. bunch of tards on here.

You're barking up the wrong tree here. I was leading the Okafor train earlier this offseason. Ask anyone around here. On this current roster he's a backup for this upcoming season. Sure he will develop. Just not enough to beat out Amir.

[dixielott02]

EXACTLY.

Not a high priority. And why would he be? He's coming here to be a backup Center. You don't trade important assets for backup development Centers. I like Okafor. Think he may end up having a great career. But once we signed Horford we became no longer a good fit for him.

Backup center?!?! When was it established that he would just be nothing more than a back up center??

No. You misunderstand what I mean. I'm saying on this CURRENT Celtics roster for this next season, he would be a backup Center by virtue of the fact that we have Amir returning and we just signed Horford. Now Amir is up after this year so the following year it could be different but seriously dixie, based on what you know about Brad Stevens so far, who he is, what he looks for in a player, is there any scenario you can envision where Jah beats either of these two guys out for a starters job this coming season?? That's what I mean by "backup".

Well as much as I like Amir, Okafor is a better player than him OFFENSIVELY and I could take the hit on his defensive woes for the time being. I think his defence can be improved with the right coaching, and Brad Stevens is more than capable of being that guy

[greenpierce]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/sadatnaeem1/status/756476955130748928[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/tmoore76ers/status/756501690321436673[/tweet]

My best guess is RJ Hunter at this point. Doesn't seem like Rozier is even on the table...

[bucknersrevenge]

Backup center?!?! When was it established that he would just be nothing more than a back up center??

No. You misunderstand what I mean. I'm saying on this CURRENT Celtics roster for this next season, he would be a backup Center by virtue of the fact that we have Amir returning and we just signed Horford. Now Amir is up after this year so the following year it could be different but seriously dixie, based on what you know about Brad Stevens so far, who he is, what he looks for in a player, is there any scenario you can envision where Jah beats either of these two guys out for a starters job this coming season?? That's what I mean by "backup".

Well as much as I like Amir, Okafor is a better player than him OFFENSIVELY and I could take the hit on his defensive woes for the time being. I think his defence can be improved with the right coaching, and Brad Stevens is more than capable of being that guy

And I agree with most of that. Said it myself at various times. But I'm not asking about what you think. I'm asking about what you KNOW about Stevens and how he operates. If Jah was here right now going into camp. Take everything we already know about Stevens mindset, what he values, how he coaches, etc. You're telling me you think he would cast Amir to the bench in favor of starting Jahlil right now? On THIS team?

[ConstableGeneva]

Backup center?!?! When was it established that he would just be nothing more than a back up center??

No. You misunderstand what I mean. I'm saying on this CURRENT Celtics roster for this next season, he would be a backup Center by virtue of the fact that we have Amir returning and we just signed Horford. Now Amir is up after this year so the following year it could be different but seriously dixie, based on what you know about Brad Stevens so far, who he is, what he looks for in a player, is there any scenario you can envision where Jah beats either of these two guys out for a starters job this coming season?? That's what I mean by "backup".

Well as much as I like Amir, Okafor is a better player than him OFFENSIVELY and I could take the hit on his defensive woes for the time being. I think his defence can be improved with the right coaching, and Brad Stevens is more than capable of being that guy

Okafor, even with his warts, is the better overall individual talent than Amir. But things have to be considered from a team standpoint and what will produce the most wins. With IT, Bradley, and Horford already starting, there's enough offense on that first five. The team would be better served if Okafor would play the role of scoring sixth man (ala Kanter) who beats up on other teams' second units. Between Rozier, Smart, Brown, and Jerebko, our bench unit could use an offensive boost. A KO-Okafor pairing is ideal tbh. Jah would be the inside presence we hoped Sully would be. Defensively, he'll also only need to cover bench bigs most of the time while he develops that part of his game.

[TheOGJabroni]

No. You misunderstand what I mean. I'm saying on this CURRENT Celtics roster for this next season, he would be a backup Center by virtue of the fact that we have Amir returning and we just signed Horford. Now Amir is up after this year so the following year it could be different but seriously dixie, based on what you know about Brad Stevens so far, who he is, what he looks for in a player, is there any scenario you can envision where Jah beats either of these two guys out for a starters job this coming season?? That's what I mean by "backup".

Well as much as I like Amir, Okafor is a better player than him OFFENSIVELY and I could take the hit on his defensive woes for the time being. I think his defence can be improved with the right coaching, and Brad Stevens is more than capable of being that guy

Okafor, even with his warts, is the better overall individual talent than Amir. But things have to be considered from a team standpoint and what will produce the most wins. With IT, Bradley, and Horford already starting, there's enough offense on that first five. The team would be better served if Okafor would play the role of scoring sixth man (ala Kanter) who beats up on other teams' second units. Between Rozier, Smart, Brown, and Jerebko, our bench unit could use an offensive boost. A KO-Okafor pairing is ideal tbh. Jah would be the inside presence we hoped Sully would be. Defensively, he'll also only need to cover bench bigs most of the time while he develops that part of his game.

I don't know if there's really such a thing as enough offense in the starting five, especially given the names you present. I would also argue he would be better off as the starter rather than on the bench. In this team we would have two positive defenders at the 4 and 5 but too negatives on the bench in Okafor/Olynyk. Last year we always talked about Johnson/Olynyk being an ideal pairing and Johnson's minutes should ideally see him on the bench anyway. Some of Okafor's defensive deficiencies will be covered up by terrific perimeter defense, as well as Horford's presence now.

Assuming we trade Rozier (and non-rotation players plus picks) for Okafor:

Thomas / Smart
Bradley / Hunter
Crowder / Brown
Horford / Johnson
Okafor / Olynyk

That's a very balanced team, IMO.

[jmr07019]

Makes more sense to pair offense and defense (Okafor Horford) than go defense defense and offense offwnse

[ConstableGeneva]

Well as much as I like Amir, Okafor is a better player than him OFFENSIVELY and I could take the hit on his defensive woes for the time being. I think his defence can be improved with the right coaching, and Brad Stevens is more than capable of being that guy

Okafor, even with his warts, is the better overall individual talent than Amir. But things have to be considered from a team standpoint and what will produce the most wins. With IT, Bradley, and Horford already starting, there's enough offense on that first five. The team would be better served if Okafor would play the role of scoring sixth man (ala Kanter) who beats up on other teams' second units. Between Rozier, Smart, Brown, and Jerebko, our bench unit could use an offensive boost. A KO-Okafor pairing is ideal tbh. Jah would be the inside presence we hoped Sully would be. Defensively, he'll also only need to cover bench bigs most of the time while he develops that part of his game.

I don't know if there's really such a thing as enough offense in the starting five, especially given the names you present. I would also argue he would be better off as the starter rather than on the bench. In this team we would have two positive defenders at the 4 and 5 but too negatives on the bench in Okafor/Olynyk. Last year we always talked about Johnson/Olynyk being an ideal pairing and Johnson's minutes should ideally see him on the bench anyway. Some of Okafor's defensive deficiencies will be covered up by terrific perimeter defense, as well as Horford's presence now.

Assuming we trade Rozier (and non-rotation players plus picks) for Okafor:

Thomas / Smart
Bradley / Hunter
Crowder / Brown
Horford / Johnson
Okafor / Olynyk

That's a very balanced team, IMO.

Not enough offense on the bench. Make Okafor the focal point of your offense in the second unit and we're golden. Switch Amir and KO if we're worried there isn't enough defense to cover for him. As a backup, the team could maximize his skills and give him his requisite touches without sacrificing the rest of the starters'. There also wouldn't me much of an adjustment scheme-wise if Horford's the only change in the starting unit as his style of play already fits perfectly with how the team runs things on both ends. Stevens' call. It could be that in the end, he just puts the best 5 talents on the floor to start the game and make it work.

[sully00]

Does Philadelphia have to acquire equal value in return for either Noel or Okafor if Simmons and Embiid or Saric pan out?

Okafor off the board until the Sixers see how he works out with his new best buds: Simmons and 'biid. Noel could be had for less than a top prospect, but the whole "logjam" argument is way overblown. (Were the Celtics desperate to move guards last year?)

It is simply a question of mins. You only have 96 mins at the 4/5 and you have 3 guys who really have to play most of theirs at the 5. But take that away you have 5 guys Okafor, Noel, Simmons, Embiid, Saric who are going to share 96 mins per game that is less than 20 a piece. Obviously you can probably play Simmons and Saric at the 3 some but these lineups are just going to get tooled on defensively. You will end up compounding the problem the Sixers had last season or someone loses out.

[Unbreakable99]

As a Sixers fan at this point I hope the Sixers don't trade Okafor to the Celtics. Ainge just wants to lowball offers. He's not going to get Okafor for peanuts. I was all for trading Okafor on draft night but now since it's passed I don't see any reason to even work on a trade with Boston anymore. We don't have to trade him. I'm willing trade Okafor for Crowder or Bradley or Smart and a pick but if Ainge doesn't want to do that then I don't care anymore. Just tell Ainge thanks but no thanks. We are fine.

[rzzzzz]

It is simply a question of mins. You only have 96 mins at the 4/5 and you have 3 guys who really have to play most of theirs at the 5. But take that away you have 5 guys Okafor, Noel, Simmons, Embiid, Saric who are going to share 96 mins per game that is less than 20 a piece. Obviously you can probably play Simmons and Saric at the 3 some but these lineups are just going to get tooled on defensively. You will end up compounding the problem the Sixers had last season or someone loses out.

Embiid could start out playing < 15 and not every game. as Saric says, he and Simmons are "positionless". Brown will encourage as much pg as possible out of Simmons. Competition for bigs' minutes will be fierce, but both guys will benefit from actual talent delivering them the ball and spacing the floor. and it should be interesting seeing how different combinations manifest on the court. i can see Okafor and 'biid as a formidable front line, as well as a strong possibility that both Jah and Noel get traded. in due course. for equivalent value. meanwhile, all things being equal, Noel being that much closer to cashing in after his rookie contract lends him to be the first to go. (reinforced by the optics of the past couple of weeks.)

[TheOGJabroni]

Okafor, even with his warts, is the better overall individual talent than Amir. But things have to be considered from a team standpoint and what will produce the most wins. With IT, Bradley, and Horford already starting, there's enough offense on that first five. The team would be better served if Okafor would play the role of scoring sixth man (ala Kanter) who beats up on other teams' second units. Between Rozier, Smart, Brown, and Jerebko, our bench unit could use an offensive boost. A KO-Okafor pairing is ideal tbh. Jah would be the inside presence we hoped Sully would be. Defensively, he'll also only need to cover bench bigs most of the time while he develops that part of his game.

I don't know if there's really such a thing as enough offense in the starting five, especially given the names you present. I would also argue he would be better off as the starter rather than on the bench. In this team we would have two positive defenders at the 4 and 5 but too negatives on the bench in Okafor/Olynyk. Last year we always talked about Johnson/Olynyk being an ideal pairing and Johnson's minutes should ideally see him on the bench anyway. Some of Okafor's defensive deficiencies will be covered up by terrific perimeter defense, as well as Horford's presence now.

Assuming we trade Rozier (and non-rotation players plus picks) for Okafor:

Thomas / Smart
Bradley / Hunter
Crowder / Brown
Horford / Johnson
Okafor / Olynyk

That's a very balanced team, IMO.

Not enough offense on the bench. Make Okafor the focal point of your offense in the second unit and we're golden. Switch Amir and KO if we're worried there isn't enough defense to cover for him. As a backup, the team could maximize his skills and give him his requisite touches without sacrificing the rest of the starters'. There also wouldn't me much of an adjustment scheme-wise if Horford's the only change in the starting unit as his style of play already fits perfectly with how the team runs things on both ends. Stevens' call. It could be that in the end, he just puts the best 5 talents on the floor to start the game and make it work.

I do agree. I am usually all for starting your best 5 and Okafor would be in that, IMO. If we did lack in scoring off the bench, we do still have Jerebko that can certainly bring in some fire power as well, along with defensive versatility. I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with our offensive production from the bench even without ET this year. I think Olynyk and Smart will be able to handle some more creativity than we give credit for but that does remain to be seen. Then figure in shooting prowess from Jerebko/Hunter and the slashing ability of Brown, I think we'll be set. Lots of untapped potential.

[BigTrade92]

As a Sixers fan at this point I hope the Sixers don't trade Okafor to the Celtics. Ainge just wants to lowball offers. He's not going to get Okafor for peanuts. I was all for trading Okafor on draft night but now since it's passed I don't see any reason to even work on a trade with Boston anymore. We don't have to trade him. I'm willing trade Okafor for Crowder or Bradley or Smart and a pick but if Ainge doesn't want to do that then I don't care anymore. Just tell Ainge thanks but no thanks. We are fine.

You actually DO need to trade one of your bigs for guard help. That's pretty much a must unless you want your team to have zero semblance of an offensive game next season. But if you're okay with that, than cool.

Difference here is the Sixers NEED guard help. The Celtics COULD USE another big man, but with Horford signed, Ainge certainly isn't going to overspend for one, especially one with limited defensive and rebounding capabilities.

And you're not getting Crowder or Bradley for Okafor, let alone with a pick. Smart or Rozier, a guy like Hunter and a late first? Sure. Sorry if that's not to your liking, but that's pretty much the extent of what the Celtics will offer. You're kidding yourself otherwise.

[Unbreakable99]

As a Sixers fan at this point I hope the Sixers don't trade Okafor to the Celtics. Ainge just wants to lowball offers. He's not going to get Okafor for peanuts. I was all for trading Okafor on draft night but now since it's passed I don't see any reason to even work on a trade with Boston anymore. We don't have to trade him. I'm willing trade Okafor for Crowder or Bradley or Smart and a pick but if Ainge doesn't want to do that then I don't care anymore. Just tell Ainge thanks but no thanks. We are fine.

You actually DO need to trade one of your bigs for guard help. That's pretty much a must unless you want your team to have zero semblance of an offensive game next season. But if you're okay with that, than cool.

Difference here is the Sixers NEED guard help. The Celtics COULD USE another big man, but with Horford signed, Ainge certainly isn't going to overspend for one, especially one with limited defensive and rebounding capabilities.

And you're not getting Crowder or Bradley for Okafor, let alone with a pick. Smart or Rozier, a guy like Hunter and a late first? Sure. Sorry if that's not to your liking, but that's pretty much the extent of what the Celtics will offer. You're kidding yourself otherwise.

And you're kidding yourself if you think you can get Okafor for just giving up Rozier or Hunter. Nice try though. And we don't have to trade a big. It would be nice to but it's not in dire need. I'm ok with keeping all bigs if no one wants to give good value. The Celtics are the ones who are trying to take that next step and still looking for a star. We already have our star in Simmons and if Embiid stays healthy then him too. Celtics are the ones who think they can just not give up much to get a star like Westbrook or Griffin. All those picks won't mean anything if Ainge continues to botch them with bad picks or doesn't trade them for a star.

[rzzzzz]

you're not getting Crowder or Bradley for Okafor.

that is correct. this trade ain't happening.

[BigTrade92]

As a Sixers fan at this point I hope the Sixers don't trade Okafor to the Celtics. Ainge just wants to lowball offers. He's not going to get Okafor for peanuts. I was all for trading Okafor on draft night but now since it's passed I don't see any reason to even work on a trade with Boston anymore. We don't have to trade him. I'm willing trade Okafor for Crowder or Bradley or Smart and a pick but if Ainge doesn't want to do that then I don't care anymore. Just tell Ainge thanks but no thanks. We are fine.

You actually DO need to trade one of your bigs for guard help. That's pretty much a must unless you want your team to have zero semblance of an offensive game next season. But if you're okay with that, than cool.

Difference here is the Sixers NEED guard help. The Celtics COULD USE another big man, but with Horford signed, Ainge certainly isn't going to overspend for one, especially one with limited defensive and rebounding capabilities.

And you're not getting Crowder or Bradley for Okafor, let alone with a pick. Smart or Rozier, a guy like Hunter and a late first? Sure. Sorry if that's not to your liking, but that's pretty much the extent of what the Celtics will offer. You're kidding yourself otherwise.

And you're kidding yourself if you think you can get Okafor for just giving up Rozier or Hunter. Nice try though. And we don't have to trade a big. It would be nice to but it's not in dire need. I'm ok with keeping all bigs if no one wants to give good value. The Celtics are the ones who are trying to take that next step and still looking for a star. We already have our star in Simmons and if Embiid stays healthy then him too. Celtics are the ones who think they can just not give up much to get a star like Westbrook or Griffin. All those picks won't mean anything if Ainge continues to botch them with bad picks or doesn't trade them for a star.

You're overrating the worth of Okafor, especially in today's NBA. Trading two guards, one who looks like a very good prospect and a first round pick is fair value for a hot head center that can't defend the paint.

The Celtics would be giving up Brooklyn picks and guys like a Crowder or Bradley for Westbrook or Griffin. Difference is, those type of deals don't make sense when both of those guys expire after a year. I think you really have no clue about what works well for the Celtics as a Sixers fan. We're not going to piss away assests for a one year rental.

And how has Ainge botched picks? Brown hasn't played a single game in the NBA and had a better Summer League than the consensus picks of Bender and Hield. I'd relax on making egregious statements like that.