Does anyone else think the #3 for okafor is completely unrealistic?

[celticsclay]

Am I the only person worried about helping philly build a two-decade long super team? They're starting to look like they are going to be real tough for a long time. How about we don't help.

Eh I think the lottery was a mixed bag for them. I imagine if you asked them they would rather the third and fourth pick than the first and nothing (unless they love simmons or brown). The Lakers seem like they have a decent chance of signing a mid-tier free agent (perhaps derozen). Coupled with the 2nd pick, Russel, Randle, Clarkson, no Kobe, no more tanking, they probably be the 9 or 10 pick range year if not better. So I am not sure worried about them as a super team. If Embiid is good and they trade one of their bigs for established talent I will start to get worried.

[__ramonezy__]

Say it happens...philly would have Dunn, Noel, Embiid and Simmons to build around? Not too shabby.

That team at their best wouldn't be able to win 25 games... none of them can shoot.

Jabari Parker, Greek freak, MCW, Greg Munroe won 33 games and they are far more talented

[Eddie20]

I guess it depends on what this draft looks like closer to draft night.   SOme people think it's good.  Some people seem to think it's garbage. 

I brought it up in another thread... some people have Jaylen Brown going 3rd and I've heard him called a poor man's Justice Winslow.  Winslow went 10th last year.  Does that mean the 3rd best player in this draft would have gone 11th last year?

If that's the case, I have no idea why Philly's best offer for a 20 year old big man rookie who has the potential to dominate inside... would be a player who would have been drafted 11th last year. 

Okafor might actually end up better than anyone in this entire draft. 

On the flip side, there's those that think a handful of months as a sitting duck in Philly has irreparably destroyed Okafor's trade value.  There's those who think Philly is desperate to move him and have no leverage.  There's those who think Okafor's stats were empty (as opposed to a prospect who put up worse stats on the College level) and that he has peaked at the age of 20.   There's those who think he's a career loser despite being a year removed from winning a National Championship.  There's those who think this team has some real gems outside of the top two picks and that PHilly might be anxious to grab one of the guards like Buddy Hield. 

So who knows... it's possible.

What we do know (widely accepted outside of this forum) is that Ainge tried trading a package built around the pick for Okafor at the deadline and that according to Ainge it was close, but Philly backed out.  My guess is, they backed out because of uncertainty surrounding where the pick would land.  It could have fallen much further than 3rd.  So perhaps now that they see it's locked in at 3rd, they'll be ready to make an actual move.  On the other hand, they probably had interest in the pick because of it's potential to end up in the top 2... so now that it's not top 2, they might not have any interest at all.   They could look to trade Okafor for a more established player.   Despite the idea that the league is "going small", big men still have a place in this league.  Star big men prospects are always going to be super valuable.  And this league is littered with guards.   They could just offer him up to the Suns for Bledsoe or Knight, for instance.  Why settle on an unknown prospect?

This is some stretched logic. Kind of reminds me of team a beat team b so they can also beat team c type stuff. Most people don't think Brown will go third, and if someone does have him going third they certainly think he is better than poor man's justice winslow. I think right now we are just all kind of guessing cause there is a decent amount of mystery around some of the top prospects. If Philly were enamored with Murray or Dunn after seeing them workout perhaps they would trade Okafor for a number 3 picks and a small additional piece (late first). I think Okafor showed enough in his rookie year that he is probably worth the number 3 pick. I wouldn't hate it if we did a trade like this.

To continue that flawed logic, Porzingis was projected to go late teens in the 14 draft so he pulled out. Does that mean Okafor would've been late teens as well?

[IDreamCeltics]

I even hear radio and tv guys talking about this possibility. It just sounds crazy for Philly. They will get way better offers.

Really? You think the Laker's are offering the second overall pick for Okafor?

[SHAQATTACK]

If can't get boogie or butler .......sounds good to me.

[dannyboy35]

The most ridiculous part is they're saying just the pick as if that's the best offer they'll get. It's laughable. We'd turn down okafor for #3 and smart? Really???

[celticsclay]

The most ridiculous part is they're saying just the pick as if that's the best offer they'll get. It's laughable. We'd turn down okafor for #3 and smart? Really???

I really don't think the Celtics would do that, but obviously none of us know the answer to this.

[__ramonezy__]

What persons have to keep in mind is that like us Philly isn't in a rush to use any traded picks as they have several as well.

I would offer Bradley + Next Year's BK Pick for Okafor. I'd offer Smart first but I think they'd want more

Use this year's #3 to sign Hield.

Free Agency go after Ryan Anderson harrddddd!!!!.

We would have a starting lineup of: PG: IT, SG: Hield, SF: Crowder, PF: Anderson, C: Okafor

[PhoSita]

I guess it depends on what this draft looks like closer to draft night.   SOme people think it's good.  Some people seem to think it's garbage. 

I brought it up in another thread... some people have Jaylen Brown going 3rd and I've heard him called a poor man's Justice Winslow.  Winslow went 10th last year.  Does that mean the 3rd best player in this draft would have gone 11th last year?

The answer to your question is simple: Jaylen Brown should by no means go third in this draft.

[jambr380]

The most ridiculous part is they're saying just the pick as if that's the best offer they'll get. It's laughable. We'd turn down okafor for #3 and smart? Really???

I really don't think the Celtics would do that, but obviously none of us know the answer to this.

I would be so disappointed if we traded Smart and the #3 - not crazy about trading one or the other, but understand you have to give to get.

It would be great if we could deal Smart and say the #23 for Okafor and use the #3 in another deal for Butler.

[LooseCannon]

Maybe Philly should wait until they are sure they have a healthy Embiid before they start entertaining trades for Okafor.  (Unless someone offers to overpay.)

[LarBrd33]

Trading 3 and smart for Okafor wouldn't sit right with me.  Okafor will probably be the best of the three, but I'd try to build a package around just one of them.

Okafor might be better than everyone in this draft and it still remains to be seen where he ranks in the 2015 draft.  Towns was clearly the best, but beyond that Okafor is pretty underrated and guys like porzingus are a bit overrated right now.  I wouldn't be stunned if Okafor ends up better than porzingus.  He already was able to be a very efficient scorer in a team with no help and he's only 20.  It's pretty weird that some fans think he's a finished product.   

[Celtics18]

I'd rather roll the dice on any of Bender, Hield, Murray or Dunn than Okafor.

[PaulP34]

What persons have to keep in mind is that like us Philly isn't in a rush to use any traded picks as they have several as well.

I would offer Bradley + Next Year's BK Pick for Okafor. I'd offer Smart first but I think they'd want more

Use this year's #3 to sign Hield.

Free Agency go after Ryan Anderson harrddddd!!!!.

We would have a starting lineup of: PG: IT, SG: Hield, SF: Crowder, PF: Anderson, C: Okafor

I like that lineup

Isaiah Thomas PG
Buddy Heild SG
Jae Crowder SF
Ryan Anderson PF
Jahlil Okafor C

Sign Kevin Martin to come in off the bench 👍

[Casperian]

This is some stretched logic.

What else is new?

As long as it fits his little narrative, no misrepresentation of the truth is beneath him.