Philadelphia 76ers Would Be Crazy To Trade Jahlil Okafor At Deadline

The Philadelphia 76ers continue to be one of the worst teams in the league, and it will surely take their organization a while to get back on the right track. They have been stockpiling draft picks and young talent, but struggle to produce a competitive team. They have new coaches and management being added to the organization, and it seems as if they will soon start being more aggressive towards winning. However, even with an abundance of young big men, the team should not try and trade Jahlil Okafor so early in his career.

Okafor and Nerlens Noel have proven to be an odd fit down low, as they just do not complement each other very well. Neither of them are much of an outside threat, which clogs the lane on offense. Joel Embiid is another young prospect on the roster, and he might be even more of a true center than both of those players. It is hard to see how a coach would decide to split minutes between those three, especially given their skillset.

However, it is important to remember that all three are extremely young players, and they will surely grow and develop their game. Okafor has had a solid rookie season so far, even if he has been overshadowed by other rookies. He has great footwork, and a very polished low-post game that can become dominant with more experience. He has proven to be a better free-throw shooter than originally thought, and may be able to expand his game to include a mid-range jumper.

All players must adapt to the league, and Okafor will continue to get better. The 76ers may decide down the line that they prefer another big man, or might believe that Okafor could be included in a package to get a star. This might be the case later on, but as of now the organization needs to focus on his development and putting the right pieces around him. They should not trade him at the deadline, and should instead look at other areas where they can improve.