Are you seriously telling me it's inconceivable that the Suns would trade Brandon Knight (making 13.5 mil for the next 5 years) for Nerlens Noel (making 3.5 mil)? Suns get an fantastic defensive center, a 10 mil trade exception... I suppose Philly can toss in one of their other 2016 1sts (from the Heat or Thunder) if absolutely necessary.
Yes, it is inconceivable.
Knight is putting up 21/5/4 for the Suns - he is playing All-Star basketball, he's locked up long term, and he's only 24 years old.
Trading him for a glorified role player who is also statistically the worst offensive big man in the entire NBA (Offensive RPM of -6.28, ranks dead last among a combined 167 PF's and C's) would be absolutely ludicrous.
His defense has been solid (Defensive RPM of +1.5, 70th our of 167 PF's and C's) but doesn't even come close to compensating for the horribly destructive impact he has on offense.
The Magic have a log-jam at SF. They smartly locked up restricted free agent Tobias Harris instead of letting him walk for nothing. But now they are paying Tobias Harris 16 million a year despite the fact that Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja are probably their future at that position. Nikola Vucevic is a nice center, but he's not a franchise big. Are you SERIOUSLY telling me that the Magic wouldn't move Tobias Harris (16 mil per year for the next 4 years) for Jahlil Okafor (4.5 mil for the next 4 years) while picking up a 12 mil trade exception in the process? Come on... you can't be serious. Orlando does that trade immediately.
Why on earth would Orlando do this when they already have Vucevic, who is every bit as good as Okafor right now?
The two are putting up identical offensive numbers Per 36, but Vucevic is a far superior rebounder (12 REB Per 36 for his career) and far more efficient on offense (51% FG for his career).
Why would that trade away Tobias Harris just to acquire a younger version of a player they already have?
What kind of mess would this cause with their roster? They would need to start Gordon (who is not yet good enough to be an NBA starter) to replace Harris. Then they would need to bring either Vucevic or Okafor off the bench, which would be a absolute waste of talent.
Completely pointless trade that the 76ers WISH would happen, but in reality unlikely that it ever would.
Besides a front line of Harris and Noel would be pretty mediocre...
So then, are you SERIOUSLY telling me that it's unfathomable that Philly could march out a lineup of like... PG - Knight, SG - Jaylen Brown (via Laker pick), SF - Tobias Harris, PF - Ben Simmons (via their own pick) and C - Joel Embiid (miraculously healthy) with a potent bench of youth (Saric? Stauskas? Wroten? etc) and signed vets? Look, that's unlikely, but it's not unthinkable. My guess is, Philly can get better offers for Okafor and Noel than the two I just pulled out of my butt.
As you said, the above scenario is unlikely.
1) The two trades make no sense for the opposite teams, and there is about a 95% chance neither of them would ever happen.
2) I think Boston has about as much chance of Jared Sullinger suddenly breaking out and become an All-Star, as the Sixers have of Embiid ever being healthy enough to realise his potential. Even if he can play again, he'll likely be limited by injuries for the rest of his career - think, Brook Lopez / Andrew Bynum.
3) The worst team in the NBA rarely gets the #1 pick, meaning Boston's Brooklyn pick (currently tied for 3rd worst record in the league) in practical terms is about as likely to get the #1 pick as Philly is.
4) I very, very seriously doubt Philly can get a player as good as Knight in return for Okafor - let alone better. I think they could maybe get Rudy Gay or Al Horford, but that's pushing it. Tobias Harris and a mid-1st or or Vucevic and a mid-1st is probably about the best I can see Philly getting back for Okafor, to be honest.
The point is, they'll have unlimited options. It's a dream come true for a competent GM. They have assets on top of assets on top of assets. It wouldnt' be hard to turn that team around. Trade everyone, roll out a whole new lineup next year... they win a few games and nobody will give a crap about their struggles. It's not like people look at the Los Angeles Clippers post Blake Griffin and talk about how they are the most hopeless team in the league. It just takes one of those gambles to work out.
Actually no, they don't have unlimited options.
They have only two players who have anything resembling trade value - but if they trade any those two players away, then any deal they get back is pretty much going to be a sideways step. Nobody is trading an established All-Star for Nerlens Noel, and nobody is trading an established superstar for Jahlil Okafor.
They have no hand in free agency, since no free agent with the slightest ounce of self respect will even consider signing with that joke of a team.
To be honest, the only assets they have with any significant trade value are Okafor and their own upcoming 1st round pick. If they traded Okafor AND their own 2016 1st rounder (unprotected) then they could probably bring back a superstar in that deal. Demarcus Cousins is the first name that comes to mind. They'd never do it though, because good luck keeping him there for more than 6 months.
This is the problem - even if the Sixers COULD bring a star back in a trade, no star on earth would be willing to get traded there. Any star who gets traded there against their will, is going to be demanding a trade within 6 months.
You cannot underestimate the importance of things like winning, team chemistry, team morale. NOBODY wants to play for the Sixers. Hell, even Okafor looked frustrated when he heard the Sixers chose him in the draft. Good luck getting a vet to come there willingly.
To be honest, you are dramatically overrating Okafor right now, talking about him like he has the potential to be the next big superstar in the mould of Garnett / Duncan / Davis / Cousins / Griffin.
He doens't.
He's averaging around 18/7, he's shooting 46% from the field, and his defense has been horrendous. He's looking like a young Brook Lopez / Al Jefferson at best, and neither of those two guys has ever really been a clear cut superstar.
If Philly had Karl-Anthony Towns, then different story, he has that type of potential. But the Wolves got Towns, and the Sixers got Okafor. Their tanking efforts failed them - Karma's flipped those lottery balls as it's own little way of biting Hinkie on the ass for trying to cheat his way to NBA success.
Topic: Happy trails to Hinkie's Power. (Read 104643 times)