After reports came out that Nerlens Noel is likely to be traded, there is reason to believe that the Philadelphia 76ers are going with Embiid and Okafor.
The Philadelphia 76ers fans finally got their answer, and it was one that not many were expecting. Nerlens Noel is likely to be traded — assuming nothing about recent trade reports fall through before actual trade season opens up — to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jeff Teague.
Many thought that Jahlil Okafor was the better trade pawn for the Sixers, especially since Okafor would bring back the highest return, given that he has the highest trade value. His offensive game proved that he could be an asset to any team looking to score, and that makes him of value to just about anyone without a dominant big man.
Well, in the same respect, why trade the player who has the highest value? Given that he has the highest value, it should be safe to assume that that specific player is the best player — of course, we can’t really say for sure since Joel Embiid has not played a game — so it could be considered foolish to trade that player, unless he really does not fit, which is tough to definitively conclude after just one season.
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Now, with this rumor, a new dynamic in the team is coming out. While fans were getting excited for the possibility of Nerlens playing alongside Embiid, they may now have to adjust to a different regime, and a different tone.
Based on the rumors — which are anything but official, at this point, the trade market is not yet opened up — the Sixers are resting their future on the combination of Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor (unless of course, they want to trade both Noel and Okafor, highly unlikely).
It may not be the best possible fit, but I’m a believer that Embiid would fit well alongside both of the possible combinations. Given that Embiid has been working on his 3-point shot, and that Okafor is showed strengths beyond the 5-foot radius of the hoop towards the end of his season, I have a strong feeling that Embiid and Okafor can work along just as well as Noel and Embiid, and that spacing will not be nearly as much of an issue as it was for Noel and Okafor this season.
The biggest thing the Sixers will miss in Noel is his rim protecting ability, something Embiid seems to have the physical capabilities of making up for. In his sole year at Kansas, Embiid averaged 2.6 blocks per game, which leads me to believe he will be just as good of a defender, if not better, than Noel was.
We also must not forget that Jerami Grant is a solid rim protector, despite not being quite as tall as Noel. So moving Noel doesn’t put the Sixers at a complete disadvantage on the defensive end of the floor. We should also recognize that Okafor did show defensive improvements over the course of the season.
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Personally, I like the trade, and feel that Okafor, combined with Noel is a great duo. There’s reason to trust that both players will work well together if Noel is, in fact, on his way out.