Report: 76ers gauging interest in Okafor
By now, basketball fans have come to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers' game plan.
Less than 24 hours before the NBA's trade deadline, the worst team in the league - on course to finish its fourth consecutive season with less than 20 wins - is reportedly trying to see what it can get in exchange for its most talented and promising player.
Calkins Media's Tom Moore reported on Wednesday that Philadelphia (8-45) is "gauging interest in (Jahlil) Okafor". Although the likelihood is low that the Eastern Conference bottom-dwellers actually deal the versatile, young center they selected with the third pick in last summer's draft, Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie has built a reputation for trying everything under the sun when it comes to tinkering with the composition of his team.
At first blush, one might wonder why Philly would want to rid itself of its supposedly prized rookie midway through his first season. However, chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo hasn't been shy about his desire to expedite the Sixers' development and slow-progressing on-court product. He's also acknowledged that having three centers - Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and the oft-injured Joel Embiid - is not exactly ideal.
Related: Colangelo on 76ers' excess of bigs: 'We've got to make a decision'
Okafor is averaging 17.1 points (49.4 percent from the field), 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of this news is that teams who have shown potential interest in the fleet-footed 6-foot-11 pivot have contacted Colangelo directly - essentially circumventing communication with Hinkie.
"From what I heard, teams in the NBA are calling Colangelo," one of Moore's sources claimed.
"Hinkie's not calling the shots - it's Colangelo," another source said. "People in the know know that."
Never a dull moment in the City of Brotherly Love.