Report: Celtics pursued Jahlil Okafor in potential blockbuster

The big fish that Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge had his eyes on was apparently Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Jahlil Okafor.

A league source told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that the megadeal Ainge teased in radio interviews following the trade deadline involved the Sixers' star rookie.

"It's something we had been deliberating on for two days straight," Ainge said. "The other team was doing that (as well). And we were wrapping ourselves around a big package to do a deal, and at the very last minute, you know, they just said, oh, they did not want to do it. They just backed out."

Ainge also revealed that the mystery deal would have involved the Celtics' most valuable asset - the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2016 first-round pick. As for the Sixers, reports happened to mention that the team had gauged interest in Okafor last Wednesday.

Swapping Okafor for what would likely be a top-five pick would have held appeal for both teams.

For the Celtics, Okafor would have filled in nicely as their go-to scorer. The 20-year-old is averaging 17.4 points per game to lead what's shaping up to be an incredible rookie class. Having Okafor to man the paint around Boston's core of stingy wing players would have minimized his shortcomings (defense) and maximized his post-scoring talents by pairing him with shooters to spread the floor.

For the Sixers, pressing the reset button on yet another promising rookie might have been daunting, but Okafor has struggled alongside Nerlens Noel, and they're also expecting 2014 No. 3 pick Joel Embiid to make his debut in the frontcourt next season.

The deal could have given Philadelphia a chance to net three picks in the top five of this summer's draft, as they're also owed the Los Angeles Lakers' top-three protected first-round pick. Despite general manager Sam Hinkie's apparent efforts to tank, the team has never drafted higher than third in his three years at the helm.

Based on the reports, however, it appears the Sixers ultimately were the team that declined the deal. Losing Okafor, regardless of his fit in the team's current framework, would have likely set the Sixers' rebuild back yet another year, and that doesn't align with team chairman Jerry Colangelo's three-year mandate for the team to become "very competitive."