NBA Trade Rumors 2017: Jahlil Okafor Has New Potential Destinations
It's just a few weeks after the NBA regular season started on Oct. 17, and teams are making some very last-minute deals. A potential trade is brewing up for the discontent Jahlil Okafor, center for the Philadelphia 76ers, who is currently looking for a change of scenery.
The Sixers' front office agreed that it's the best thing for both parties involved, and it could be a chance to get some value for the young center. They are not so agreeable as to let him out via a contract buyout, though, as confirmed via Twitter by reporter Marc Stein.
Since that's the case, the chances of Okafor gaining freedom as a free agent looks slim this year. The team's general manager Bryan Colangelo looks to be still hoping that he can shop around for offers on the back of Okafor's value as the 2015 third overall pick, as Bleacher Report recaps the situation.
While the 21-year-old player is being wasted on the team's bench, a couple of teams looking for young talent could be a good fit, according to league sources via NBA.com. The rebuilding Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks might just express an interest in the big man if they can meet the Sixer's demands halfway.
The Philadelphia front office is expecting "at least a draft pick" in return for the Okafor trade, and teams with access to those kinds of assets, like the Phoenix Suns, have expressed interest.
Even the Boston Celtics have "expressed the most interest in Okafor," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The draft pick that the Sixers are asking for in trade, though, could be a sticking point in the negotiations. The Celtics themselves are "not willing to part with a first-round pick," as quoted by the Boston Globe.
Unless the Sixers are willing to offer a compromise, they could be looking at another year with Okafor on the sidelines until his contract expires in 2018.
