76ers' Jahlil Okafor: Expected to start at center next four games

Okafor will start at center in Friday's game against the Wizards, Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Analysis:

Okafor's name had been a fixture in trade rumors in the weeks leading up to Thursday's deadline, but the 76ers were unable to find a suitor for the second-year big man, and instead turned their focus to finding a new home for Nerlens Noel in order to clear up the team's logjam at center. With Noel now with the Mavericks and Joel Embiid (knee) out for at least the next four games, Okafor will find himself on the top of the depth chart in the short term, giving him his most best opportunity of the season to deliver helpful production. In his other 22 starts this season, Okafor is averaging 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 block in 25.4 minutes per game, but since most of those outings came when Noel was available, it's likely Okafor will see even more minutes in the games to come.