The Ringer Thinks It's Time To Trade Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor
Okafor has to go. Noel has to go. They both have to go. One (or all three) or those things are true. But where do we send our misplaced giants? The Ringer’s Ben Detrick has some ideas, namely Okafor to Chicago or Boston, and Noel to Portland or Minnesota.
Detrick and I agree that if you keep one of them it should be Noel. Just imagine the defensive possibilities:
We haven’t even witnessed Noel alongside Embiid and Robert Covington, a group whose defensive potential rivals nearly any trio in the league (and could boast two top-10 shot blockers, two top-10 steals collectors, and potentially the top two deflections leaders in the whole NBA). Until that tantalizing possibility is explored, Colangelo should avoid glomming up a “pupu platter” of middling picks and players in exchange for the tranquility of closure.
Yet Noel seems most likely to go due to his pending restricted free agency and vocal displeasure. Detrick pitches Noel to Portland – for C.J. McCollum (a deal that would have to include more value on the Sixers’ end, say the Lakers pick) – and Minnesota (for Rubio or Dunn and a protected first).
Detrick envisions Jah in Chicago or Boston – his hometown and Noel’s, respectively. But Detrick thinks the Sixers can get more for Noel than Okafor*, a situation I’m not sure is realistic. C.J. McCollum is better much than Marcus Smart + the Bulls’ first round pick, two separate returns Detrick says Okafor could bring. Yet I don’t think moving McCollum for Noel is a smart (or plausible) move on Portland’s end. They’d need more.
It’s worth mentioning that Danny Ainge was trying to get that #3 pick from the Sixers in the 2015 draft where they took Okafor. The offer, at that time, was reportedly this:
So Celtics trade offer was: Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, No. 16, with no specific third player to Sixers for Nerlens Noel and No. 3.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 24, 2015
The #16 pick was used on Terry Rozier, but Sam Dekker, Justin Anderson, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would have been available as well. The offer seemed incredibly insulting at the time. Context changes.
*For the record, I agree with Detrick that this is where their values should be but I’m not sure that’s where they are.