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

[alldaboston]

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

Straight up? Probably unrealistic.

Okafor was a #3 who has shown himself to be a legitimate NBA player. Who would the Sixers be able to get at #3 that would have more value than that?

idk, but im liking the idea of an okafor trade more and more by the day. i dont see anyone at 3 that can come in and help us immediately like okafor can, while also having the potential to get even better in the future. i really, really like murray, but the chance to get okafor might be too good to pass up. id also include 16 or 23, or olynyk if the sixers want him. i think coming out of the draft with okafor would be a good night for us.

[RockinRyA]

You guys are funny. Okafor put up decent numbers on a historically awful team that had nobody else who could score. He also played poor defense, got in trouble off the court repeatedly, and had an overall poor attitude. He was not in the running for rookie of the year in his own draft class.

On top of it, the Sixers have Noel, Embiid, Okafor, and Saric all playing next season. All big men. They are starting for a PG. Are we supposed to seriously think they wouldn't jump at the chance to trade Okafor for #3 and draft Dunn? They would LOVE to do so. I can see the Celtics doing much better with the #3 pick though. I would be honestly disappointed if we trade it for Okafor. He doesnt fit our team or the modern NBA game, and doesnt provide a defensive presence inside either.

Okafor still looks like a future all-star to me.  He certainly put up rookie numbers reflecting a player who will develop into an all-star.   Is Dunn a future all-star?  I'm asking this legitimately as someone who doesn't follow College ball.  Does Dunn have any hope of developing into an all-star?  Because I see that at Okafor's age, Dunn was averaging 3.8 points, 5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals with 31% shooting on the College level.  Is that more impressive than Okafor putting up per-36 numbers of  21 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks with 51% shooting as a 20 year old rookie on the NBA level? 

Worst-case scenario, Okafor is Al Jefferson.  What's Dunn's worst-case scenario?

Thing is, there's a chance a month from now we'll have more insight into this draft and realize there's a Porzingus type rising up unexpectedly.  That's possible.  You might even see SImmons or Ingram fall out of the Top 2 (as did with Okafor last season).   So maybe there's a future star that will be available.  Maybe that's 22 year old Kris Dunn.

But there's also a chance Okafor will be better than every single player in this draft.  And he's already shown rare NBA skills that will make him desirable to many teams if Philly decides to move him.  All I'm saying is, if I'm running Philly, I wouldn't bother trading a guaranteed blue chip like him for a scratch ticket unless I was REALLY sure about this draft.  I'd instead look at moving him for an established young player that I've seen play in the NBA already.   That's why I threw out the Suns as a team.  They have Bledsoe and Knight at PG already (as well as Devin Booker at SG) and they have the 4th pick in a guard-heavy 3-8 range.  Seems to me, trading Knight or Bledsoe for Okafor would make some sense for both teams.  Suns could use an elite big man prospect.  Philly could use a decent guard that they know can perform on the NBA level.

FWIW, I went to a Suns forum and questioned if they'd target one of Philly's bigs.  Apparently a bunch of them were already in favor of doing that and brought up an interesting point I hadn't considered... Colangelo has a good relationship with the Suns.  Two Suns fans even suggested they'd be willing to trade Brandon Knight AND the #4 pick for Okafor.

Also interesting is that a couple of the Suns fans suggested they should trade Brandon Knight for Dario Saric.   I guess they aren't that high on Brandon Knight.  That surprises me a bit, because if Philly decides to start dumping bigs, I'd expect them to target an established player like Brandon Knight over a crapshoot draft pick.  Knight is only 24 years old and averaged 20 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season.   Stuff like this is why I continue to think Philly is one of the most fascinating teams this Summer.

So take that for what it's worth. 

I was on a clippers forum and they said they would do Blake and Paul for him.

Oh yeah?   Or are you just crap-posting, because you don't like that some Suns fans would trade #4 and Knight for Okafor... and others are open to trading Knight straight up for Saric?

The Suns fans aren't high on Knight. They view him as an empty stats guy.

[crimson_stallion]

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

Straight up? Probably unrealistic.

Okafor was a #3 who has shown himself to be a legitimate NBA player. Who would the Sixers be able to get at #3 that would have more value than that?

Yeah I mean... if the Celtics keep the pick and select a guard, there's a decent chance the kid spends a lot of time in D-League given that we're already pretty good on guards.   So then the question is... can the guy put up better stats in D-League than Okafor put up for the 76ers last season?  17.5 points, 7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks with 51% shooting is nothing to sneeze at.

I find your hypocritical comments so incredibly amusing sometimes.

When Philly selects a center - Okafor - at #3, you couldn't stop gushing about how great and productive he was going to be.  You didn't seem phased at all that Philly already had Embiid and Noel at the center spot.

But when Boston selects a guard at #3, apparently having Smart and Bradley is enough to bury that #3 pick in the D-League?

I just do not get your rationale at all.  When we got the #6 pick you were complaining that we didn't lose a couple of more games so we could get a better pick.  When people criticised you of being favourable towards Philly, your response able to them at all, you were just impressed by the fact that they had a #3 pick..and that if we got a pick that high you would be just as excited for us. 

Now Boston has done exactly that and secured the #3 pick, all you can talk about is how "if we draft a guard he's going to spend a lot of time in the D-League". 

Can you please explain exactly how your mind works, because I am stumped.

Boston currently has one clear-cut starting calibre guard, and that is Isaiah Thomas. 

* We have Bradley who is a quality starter, but is far from an all-star (and doesn't have much untapped potential left in him) not an exceptional one.

* We have Smart who is (at this point in his career) a fringe-starter and mostly a defensive role player - but who has the potential to become a good starter at best probably

* We have Rozier who is still a pretty raw and inexperienced prospect - I do like him and thik he has potential, but he's got a ways to go yet.

You think that Danny won't be able to find playing time for a #3 selected guard among that rotation? 

Why? 

Because you think he'll be afraid of hindering the development of Rozier (taken at #16) and Smart (taken at #6)?

The rationale just make no sense at all. 

If you have selected a guy as high as #3 it's because you either (1) think the guy has incredibly high potential or (2) trust that the guy is ready to contribute from day one. 

If it's scenario #1, then you obviously give priority to your #3 pick over your #6 and #16 picks, because you think the guy has high potential and you want him to reach it.

If it's scenario #2 then you are going to give your #3 pick minutes because you know he has NBA ready skills and can contribute.

If would be an absolutely mindless move  for Danny to use the #3 pick on a guy who he believes has less potential and is less NBA ready then Smart and Rozier.  Why on earth would he do that? 

[MJohnnyboy]

I really don't think it's unrealistic at all. In fact I think its more likely than not that Okafor gets traded here. If the rumors were correct, the Celtics came close to getting Okafor back in February and my own speculation is that Philly backed out only because they were worried about where the Nets pick was going to land. Now they know its number 3 which is just perfect for them because they desperately need a guard and the prospects considered at #3 outside of Bender are guards like Murray, Dunn, and Hield.

Also, Philly does not need Okafor considering they have enough bigs with him, Embiid, and Noel and they are going to have (most likely) Simmons and Saric coming into the fold. There isn't going to be enough playing time for all of those guys. Not to mention, Okafor hasn't been able to keep himself out of trouble in Philadelphia so not only is his value lower than it should be but I'm not sure Philly wants that in their locker room on top of their issues with Embiid.

I'm not saying it will happen, but I don't think it's outlandish to think it's a possibility.

[crimson_stallion]

I really don't think it's unrealistic at all. In fact I think its more likely than not that Okafor gets traded here. If the rumors were correct, the Celtics came close to getting Okafor back in February and my own speculation is that Philly backed out only because they were worried about where the Nets pick was going to land. Now they know its number 3 which is just perfect for them because they desperately need a guard and the prospects considered at #3 outside of Bender are guards like Murray, Dunn, and Hield.

Also, Philly does not need Okafor considering they have enough bigs with him, Embiid, and Noel and they are going to have (most likely) Simmons and Saric coming into the fold. There isn't going to be enough playing time for all of those guys. Not to mention, Okafor hasn't been able to keep himself out of trouble in Philadelphia so not only is his value lower than it should be but I'm not sure Philly wants that in their locker room on top of their issues with Embiid.

I'm not saying it will happen, but I don't think it's outlandish to think it's a possibility.

Much as I hate to admit it, it makes a hell of a lot of sense for the Sixers.

They'd be much better off with #1 and #3 then they would with #1 and Okafor.  If they were to add Ingram / Simmons and Hield/Dunn to their existing core of Noel and Embiid then that roster would have the potential to be a contender a few years from now if Embiid can get healthy and realise his potential.

But I do not like Okafor, and I'm not particularly fond of having him here.  It wouldn't be the worst possible scenario that could happen by any means, I would just MUCH prefer taking a shot on Dunn/Hield rather than settling on Okafor. 

It's better then Bender though...if we take Bender at #4 I think that would be pretty close to the worst possible outcome, and I would be incredibly disappointed.  That's about the only way I can see this #3 pick turning out bad. 

I'd be thrilled with Hield or Dunn.  I'd be OK with Murray or Brown, and I'd probably even warm to the idea of Okafor if he ended up here (I'd just try to convince myself that being in Boston will transform him). 

Bender however, I just cannot possibly get excited about.  A Bender pick at #3 would be very, very depressing.

[BornReady]

I think it's very realistic if this was Hinkie

[moiso]

You guys are funny. Okafor put up decent numbers on a historically awful team that had nobody else who could score. He also played poor defense, got in trouble off the court repeatedly, and had an overall poor attitude. He was not in the running for rookie of the year in his own draft class.

On top of it, the Sixers have Noel, Embiid, Okafor, and Saric all playing next season. All big men. They are starting for a PG. Are we supposed to seriously think they wouldn't jump at the chance to trade Okafor for #3 and draft Dunn? They would LOVE to do so. I can see the Celtics doing much better with the #3 pick though. I would be honestly disappointed if we trade it for Okafor. He doesnt fit our team or the modern NBA game, and doesnt provide a defensive presence inside either.

Okafor still looks like a future all-star to me.  He certainly put up rookie numbers reflecting a player who will develop into an all-star.   Is Dunn a future all-star?  I'm asking this legitimately as someone who doesn't follow College ball.  Does Dunn have any hope of developing into an all-star?  Because I see that at Okafor's age, Dunn was averaging 3.8 points, 5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals with 31% shooting on the College level.  Is that more impressive than Okafor putting up per-36 numbers of  21 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks with 51% shooting as a 20 year old rookie on the NBA level? 

Worst-case scenario, Okafor is Al Jefferson.  What's Dunn's worst-case scenario?

Thing is, there's a chance a month from now we'll have more insight into this draft and realize there's a Porzingus type rising up unexpectedly.  That's possible.  You might even see SImmons or Ingram fall out of the Top 2 (as did with Okafor last season).   So maybe there's a future star that will be available.  Maybe that's 22 year old Kris Dunn.

But there's also a chance Okafor will be better than every single player in this draft.  And he's already shown rare NBA skills that will make him desirable to many teams if Philly decides to move him.  All I'm saying is, if I'm running Philly, I wouldn't bother trading a guaranteed blue chip like him for a scratch ticket unless I was REALLY sure about this draft.  I'd instead look at moving him for an established young player that I've seen play in the NBA already.   That's why I threw out the Suns as a team.  They have Bledsoe and Knight at PG already (as well as Devin Booker at SG) and they have the 4th pick in a guard-heavy 3-8 range.  Seems to me, trading Knight or Bledsoe for Okafor would make some sense for both teams.  Suns could use an elite big man prospect.  Philly could use a decent guard that they know can perform on the NBA level.

FWIW, I went to a Suns forum and questioned if they'd target one of Philly's bigs.  Apparently a bunch of them were already in favor of doing that and brought up an interesting point I hadn't considered... Colangelo has a good relationship with the Suns.  Two Suns fans even suggested they'd be willing to trade Brandon Knight AND the #4 pick for Okafor.

Also interesting is that a couple of the Suns fans suggested they should trade Brandon Knight for Dario Saric.   I guess they aren't that high on Brandon Knight.  That surprises me a bit, because if Philly decides to start dumping bigs, I'd expect them to target an established player like Brandon Knight over a crapshoot draft pick.  Knight is only 24 years old and averaged 20 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season.   Stuff like this is why I continue to think Philly is one of the most fascinating teams this Summer.

So take that for what it's worth. 

I was on a clippers forum and they said they would do Blake and Paul for him.

Oh yeah?   Or are you just crap-posting, because you don't like that some Suns fans would trade #4 and Knight for Okafor... and others are open to trading Knight straight up for Saric?

The Suns fans aren't high on Knight. They view him as an empty stats guy.

Wait, why do we care what other teams fans think? 

[Vermont Green]

If the Suns really are going to offer Knight+#4, I don't think we should try to top that.  We would probably need to offer #3+Smart or maybe even #3+Thomas to beat the Philly deal.  That is too much.

#3+Young would be fair I think, #3+Rozier maybe but not more than that.  I actually think Philly might be a good place for Young to figure it out.

[Eddie20]

You guys are funny. Okafor put up decent numbers on a historically awful team that had nobody else who could score. He also played poor defense, got in trouble off the court repeatedly, and had an overall poor attitude. He was not in the running for rookie of the year in his own draft class.

On top of it, the Sixers have Noel, Embiid, Okafor, and Saric all playing next season. All big men. They are starting for a PG. Are we supposed to seriously think they wouldn't jump at the chance to trade Okafor for #3 and draft Dunn? They would LOVE to do so. I can see the Celtics doing much better with the #3 pick though. I would be honestly disappointed if we trade it for Okafor. He doesnt fit our team or the modern NBA game, and doesnt provide a defensive presence inside either.

Okafor still looks like a future all-star to me.  He certainly put up rookie numbers reflecting a player who will develop into an all-star.   Is Dunn a future all-star?  I'm asking this legitimately as someone who doesn't follow College ball.  Does Dunn have any hope of developing into an all-star?  Because I see that at Okafor's age, Dunn was averaging 3.8 points, 5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals with 31% shooting on the College level.  Is that more impressive than Okafor putting up per-36 numbers of  21 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks with 51% shooting as a 20 year old rookie on the NBA level? 

Worst-case scenario, Okafor is Al Jefferson.  What's Dunn's worst-case scenario?

Thing is, there's a chance a month from now we'll have more insight into this draft and realize there's a Porzingus type rising up unexpectedly.  That's possible.  You might even see SImmons or Ingram fall out of the Top 2 (as did with Okafor last season).   So maybe there's a future star that will be available.  Maybe that's 22 year old Kris Dunn.

But there's also a chance Okafor will be better than every single player in this draft.  And he's already shown rare NBA skills that will make him desirable to many teams if Philly decides to move him.  All I'm saying is, if I'm running Philly, I wouldn't bother trading a guaranteed blue chip like him for a scratch ticket unless I was REALLY sure about this draft.  I'd instead look at moving him for an established young player that I've seen play in the NBA already.   That's why I threw out the Suns as a team.  They have Bledsoe and Knight at PG already (as well as Devin Booker at SG) and they have the 4th pick in a guard-heavy 3-8 range.  Seems to me, trading Knight or Bledsoe for Okafor would make some sense for both teams.  Suns could use an elite big man prospect.  Philly could use a decent guard that they know can perform on the NBA level.

FWIW, I went to a Suns forum and questioned if they'd target one of Philly's bigs.  Apparently a bunch of them were already in favor of doing that and brought up an interesting point I hadn't considered... Colangelo has a good relationship with the Suns.  Two Suns fans even suggested they'd be willing to trade Brandon Knight AND the #4 pick for Okafor.

Also interesting is that a couple of the Suns fans suggested they should trade Brandon Knight for Dario Saric.   I guess they aren't that high on Brandon Knight.  That surprises me a bit, because if Philly decides to start dumping bigs, I'd expect them to target an established player like Brandon Knight over a crapshoot draft pick.  Knight is only 24 years old and averaged 20 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season.   Stuff like this is why I continue to think Philly is one of the most fascinating teams this Summer.

So take that for what it's worth. 

I was on a clippers forum and they said they would do Blake and Paul for him.

Oh yeah?   Or are you just crap-posting, because you don't like that some Suns fans would trade #4 and Knight for Okafor... and others are open to trading Knight straight up for Saric?

The Suns fans aren't high on Knight. They view him as an empty stats guy.

Wait, why do we care what other teams fans think?

We don't, but he does. He gets most of his opinions from fan sites (see his Butler talk) and passes it off as factual analysis.

Knight kind of sucks. He takes awful shots and plays no D.

[Eddie20]

This is what Derek Bodner, who covers the team, thinks of Okafor:

Derek Bodner ‏@DerekBodnerNBA  ·

I don't think I've ever disagreed with consensus as vehemently as I do regarding Jahlil Okafor.

Not referring to a trade. Talking about his value as a basketball player / prospect. Just not as high on him

In all honesty, I'm kind of depressed that the Boston rumors have re-opened the Okafor debates. They're exhausting.

The funny thing is, everyone focuses on Okafor's offense not being a fit in today's NBA. That's not it at all. His defense doesn't fit today

The more the league goes to spacing, heavy pick and roll play, and one big on the court, the more pronounced Okafor's deficiencies become

If this were the mid-90's, you could hide Okafor defensively.

the defensive tools have always been the tertiary concern for me

 I don't project him to improve enough, no

[playdream]

This is what Derek Bodner, who covers the team, thinks of Okafor:

Derek Bodner ‏@DerekBodnerNBA  ·

I don't think I've ever disagreed with consensus as vehemently as I do regarding Jahlil Okafor.

Not referring to a trade. Talking about his value as a basketball player / prospect. Just not as high on him

In all honesty, I'm kind of depressed that the Boston rumors have re-opened the Okafor debates. They're exhausting.

The funny thing is, everyone focuses on Okafor's offense not being a fit in today's NBA. That's not it at all. His defense doesn't fit today

The more the league goes to spacing, heavy pick and roll play, and one big on the court, the more pronounced Okafor's deficiencies become

If this were the mid-90's, you could hide Okafor defensively.

the defensive tools have always been the tertiary concern for me

 I don't project him to improve enough, no

Wow this is spot on
Okafor on the floor will take away your space and pace and ball movement and defense and even disturb your lockerroom chemistry, it;s to a point you a better without him(just watch the 76ers)

[PaulP34]

The most likely scenario is a trade with Philly for Okafor. But you gotta ask yourself this, what trade can Danny make that would attract more talent ? As it stands right now, Boston is #3 on the big market list behind only Dallas and Philadelphia. Isiah is the one star on this team who desperately needs another all-star to play with. If Danny Ainge drafts a guy like Dragon Bender, it just wouldn't make much sense. Now if Danny drafts a guy like Heild, Murray or Brown he would have to move either Bradley or Smart. Let's say Danny pulls off a trade out of left field and grabs Plicans Anderson. Now the Celtics got their big who not only can score but would change Isiah Thomas game. IT wouldn't need to be driving in the paint so much and would become more of a facilitator. Danny could then attract a FA to come sign on to Boston and want to be part of that Isiah Thomas/Ryan Anderson/Crowder/Bradley/Smart. Danny needs to use this #3 pick along with other assets to aquire that Ryan Anderson type player that will allow a better butterfly effect to attract more talent. In no way shape or form, will drafting Bender give Danny any credibility to move on and sign any FA this summer. Bender would completely stall any plans he had to bring this team a few steps to the next level.

[PhoSita]

This is what Derek Bodner, who covers the team, thinks of Okafor:

Derek Bodner ‏@DerekBodnerNBA  ·

I don't think I've ever disagreed with consensus as vehemently as I do regarding Jahlil Okafor.

Not referring to a trade. Talking about his value as a basketball player / prospect. Just not as high on him

In all honesty, I'm kind of depressed that the Boston rumors have re-opened the Okafor debates. They're exhausting.

The funny thing is, everyone focuses on Okafor's offense not being a fit in today's NBA. That's not it at all. His defense doesn't fit today

The more the league goes to spacing, heavy pick and roll play, and one big on the court, the more pronounced Okafor's deficiencies become

If this were the mid-90's, you could hide Okafor defensively.

the defensive tools have always been the tertiary concern for me

 I don't project him to improve enough, no

First of all, this is pretty much exactly the majority opinion on Okafor, so Bodner isn't exactly opening any eyes here.

Second, while I agree that Okafor is a bad fit in a system that places an emphasis on a single big to hold the defense together on the back line, that is only one model for effective team defense, albeit the prevailing model today.

Okafor is a project on defense.  No doubt about it.  But Brad Stevens put together a top 10 defense this year with Jared Sullinger functioning as the center on defense for big minutes for the majority of the season.

Giving Okafor a starting role requires you to construct a team defensive concept that doesn't rely on the center to make everything work defensively.  That's an added challenge, but I don't think it's an insurmountable one.

And Okafor's offensive talent, if he improves his range and is encouraged to pass the ball by having players around him who can shoot and keep the ball moving, could easily make that challenge worth taking on.


There is the risk that it doesn't work out and Okafor is relegated to a sixth man role a la Enes Kanter.  That's a less than ideal outcome for a top 3 pick.  But that risk is less than the risk of drafting a guy that might not be able to produce in the league at all.  Okafor at least has proven he can be productive at the NBA level.

Given that, while I wouldn't give up a lot more than the #3 to get Okafor, I think trading for him with that pick as the primary piece going to the Sixers could make a lot of sense for the Celtics.  And man, wouldn't it be nice to see an honest to goodness big man with the ability to finish plays inside, regardless of contact and defensive attention, on the Celtics.  What a breath of fresh air.

[Surferdad]

This is what Derek Bodner, who covers the team, thinks of Okafor:

Derek Bodner ‏@DerekBodnerNBA  ·

I don't think I've ever disagreed with consensus as vehemently as I do regarding Jahlil Okafor.

Not referring to a trade. Talking about his value as a basketball player / prospect. Just not as high on him

In all honesty, I'm kind of depressed that the Boston rumors have re-opened the Okafor debates. They're exhausting.

The funny thing is, everyone focuses on Okafor's offense not being a fit in today's NBA. That's not it at all. His defense doesn't fit today

The more the league goes to spacing, heavy pick and roll play, and one big on the court, the more pronounced Okafor's deficiencies become

If this were the mid-90's, you could hide Okafor defensively.

the defensive tools have always been the tertiary concern for me

 I don't project him to improve enough, no

First of all, this is pretty much exactly the majority opinion on Okafor, so Bodner isn't exactly opening any eyes here.

Second, while I agree that Okafor is a bad fit in a system that places an emphasis on a single big to hold the defense together on the back line, that is only one model for effective team defense, albeit the prevailing model today.

Okafor is a project on defense.  No doubt about it.  But Brad Stevens put together a top 10 defense this year with Jared Sullinger functioning as the center on defense for big minutes for the majority of the season.

Giving Okafor a starting role requires you to construct a team defensive concept that doesn't rely on the center to make everything work defensively.  That's an added challenge, but I don't think it's an insurmountable one.

And Okafor's offensive talent, if he improves his range and is encouraged to pass the ball by having players around him who can shoot and keep the ball moving, could easily make that challenge worth taking on.


There is the risk that it doesn't work out and Okafor is relegated to a sixth man role a la Enes Kanter.  That's a less than ideal outcome for a top 3 pick.  But that risk is less than the risk of drafting a guy that might not be able to produce in the league at all.  Okafor at least has proven he can be productive at the NBA level.

Given that, while I wouldn't give up a lot more than the #3 to get Okafor, I think trading for him with that pick as the primary piece going to the Sixers could make a lot of sense for the Celtics.  And man, wouldn't it be nice to see an honest to goodness big man with the ability to finish plays inside, regardless of contact and defensive attention, on the Celtics.  What a breath of fresh air.

Good assessment of Okafor, I agree.

One thing that scares me about this trade is giving Philly the #3 pick in addition to #1.  They can take Brown, Murray or Hield for their weak backcourt in addition to Simmons at #1.  Along with Embid and Saric coming in, this sets them up to potentially have the dominant team in East 3-4 years from now, and perhaps for a very long time (if all players pan out) as all their young guys mature together.

[Evantime34]

To those out there that thinks #3 is not enough for Okafor, what do you think is a reasonable trade package for him?

I think him for the third pick is fair. Lot's of people have made the argument that Ainge will lose all his leverage in the draft because he has so many picks. A similar argument could be made about the Sixers and all the bigs they have. If the Sixers select Simmons, at least one of their bigs needs to be moved immediately.

Philly's roster construction makes it unlikely that they will get more than the #3 pick for Okafor. If they try to hold firm and not deal anyone they will need to fit the following players into 96 big man minutes, Okafor, Embiid, Saric, Noel and Simmons. That is before you add in Covington, who plays his best at the 4. If they don't make a move someone is going to get squeezed in their rotation and their trade value will thus diminish. I don't think Philly is in the position to ask for more.