Phoenix Suns: Is now the right time to make a deal for Jahlil Okafor?

With roster upheaval in the near future for the Phoenix Suns, the franchise could look to add a legitimate young center to the team.

Phoenix Suns are pursuing a deal for Eric Bledsoe after the point guard had a tweet that could have been taken as a shot at the franchise. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Suns have looked at trying to add center Tyson Chandler to any Bledsoe deal. It’s clear that the Suns are trying to find a new look at center. Luckily for the Suns, the Philadelphia 76ers are actively looking for a trade for seldom used former third overall pick Jahlil Okafor, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN. The Suns could make a fair trade for Okafor where the Suns don’t have to give up too much for the center.

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Paolo Uggetti of the Ringer explains that Okafor’s value has dropped in part because Amir Johnson is the primary back up to Joel Embiid, which gives Okafor basically no playing time and pushes him out of the bench rotation. This is not to say Okafor is a bad player. With a coach willing to be patient with the pace of his growth on defense and a team that desperately needs scoring, Okafor would be a great fit. Currently, the Suns are ranked 18th in points scored per game and interim head coach Jay Triano seems to know how to get players motivated after winning both games as the team’s leader.

Okafor didn’t play awful in his lone performance this season. He had 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while shooting 4-7 shooting from the floor and 50 percent from the free throw line. Okafor could compete for time with Alex Len regardless if Chandler is traded or not.

With the fact that Okafor’s value is low, the Suns’ could low ball the Sixers a deal for the center. Now the Suns need to send the Sixers assets they can utilize or use in other trades.

This proposed trade could benefit both teams involved. The reasons why the Suns could benefit from this trade are already listed above. However, there are several reasons why the Sixers could benefit from this hypothetical trade.

Derrick Jones Jr. is a young athletic wing that could be a good running mate with Ben Simmons on the fast break. If Jones can’t break the Sixers’ rotation, he is still talented enough to be an add on to another trade the Sixers could make later. The Toronto Raptors second round pick that the Suns own in the next draft would be a solid pick and the Suns second round pick in 2019 could be a potentially good pick. Regardless if the Sixers decide to keep these assets or use them in a bigger deal later at this rate it may be one of the better deals the 76ers will get for the old school big man.

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Okafor could be a solid low post scoring option that the Phoenix Suns could use in their rebuilding efforts. Okafor may not be the franchise savior at center, but he could be a solid addition to the team. The Sixers’ could get a solid return for a center that they probably shouldn’t have ever drafted in the first place.

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