The Philadelphia 76ers’ loaded frontcourt became even more crowded this week when they signed veteran power forward Elton Brand, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
There are too many big men and not enough minutes for everyone, and the two most likely candidates to be dealt still are centers Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.
“The Sixers have had periodic trade talks this summer involving Noel and Okafor and plan eventually to move one of them, league sources said,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Philadelphia doesn’t believe the two players’ talents are complementary.”
This isn’t the first time Noel and Okafor have been involved in trade rumors. The rumors ramped up entering the NBA draft in June, died down a bit after free agency and appear to be lurking again as training camps near.
The 76ers need guards and outside shooting, and trading a center probably is the best way to address that weakness on their roster. Just about every team in the league has a quality point guard, but Philly isn’t one of them.
The challenge for Philly is finding a fair deal for Noel or Okafor, and that’s not easy because teams are paying for potential — rather than results — this early in their careers.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
