Jahlil Okafor to the Boston Celtics Rumors Are Heating up Again

The Boston Celtics have reportedly been after Jahlil Okafor for quite some time. And according to league sources, a deal to send Okafor to Boston almost got done on draft night. From CSN New England:

The two teams were reportedly close to getting a deal done on draft night, and league sources claim both have kept the door ajar to getting a deal done between now and the start of training camp.
 
“[Okafor] would help Boston, obviously,” said a league official. “But it’s clear that Boston isn’t looking to just add a player who can make them better. They’re looking for a guy who can come in and make an immediate impact in a really, really big way. Okafor’s good, but I don’t think he’s that kind of guy for that team.”
 
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From the moment Philly drafted Ben [Simmons], everyone around the league knew that they would have to trade a big, either Okafor or Nerlens [Noels],” an NBA scout told CSNNE.com. “Okafor is the better scorer; it’s not even close really. But Nerlens has that ability to run the floor and can protect the rim. Those two qualities . . . you can’t have enough guys in the frontcourt who call those two skills, strengths. That’s why Okafor is the more expendable player.”

There have long been rumors of the Sixers trading either Okafor or Nerlens Noel. Many reports state the Sixers would rather keep Noel and trade Okafor. Those reports also state that Noel is a more wanted commodity than Okafor by other teams. Noel is the “defensive” guy and Okafor is the “offensive” guy, to speak frankly.

But if a deal did get done on draft night, the Sixers very well could have landed their point guard in Kris Dunn if the Celtics traded away their third overall pick. And that would have changed their whole strategy in free agency.

Don’t be surprised if a trade comes down sooner or later. Can Brett Brown make this team work with guys like Okafor, Noel, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric vying for court time? I’d like to think he can.