For several weeks now, the Boston Celtics have been the center of trade rumors involving Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers. But with all these rumors flying around, is it a logical move for the Celtics to release a couple of its players just to get Okafor?
Ever since 76ers team manager and president Bryan Colangelo admitted that franchise currently has a surplus of centers, it has been expected that Philadelphia will trade away one of its big men, such as Okafor. Eventually, through rumors, the Celtics became the likely landing spot for the 20-year-old athlete.
These trade rumors even intensified when Colangelo said he might have to let go one of his centers just to balance out the entire lineup.
In a report by CSNNE, the site noted that going after Okafor is a good move for the Celtics. For one, he is a very young player and is coming off from an impressive rookie season.
But then again, it seems these reasons are not enough to persuade the Celtics to seriously go him. As noted by HoF Mag, despite having a relatively solid offensive game, Okafor is not that effective on defense, which is a big deal especially if you're playing center.
In addition, then Celtics already have Al Horford, and adding another center could cause the Celtics to have the same dilemma as the 76ers. With Horford on the lineup, Okafor will most likely end up as a backup since the former will be the team's starter next season. And, for any team, it's not worth losing a player or two through a trade just to get a non-franchise athlete.
Also, even though Okafor will still probably be a good fit in Boston, getting another big man is not the priority of the Celtics. Like most teams, the Boston team is likely looking for shooters and those with speed to add to its roster.
For the 76ers, on the other, they'll only probably consider trading away Okafor if they are sure that they will be getting a good deal out of it.
