Would Boston Be The Right Situation For Jahlil Okafor?
BOSTON (CBS) --Celtics fans are patiently waiting for Danny Ainge to cash in the assets he's collected the last three years and make a deal that will complete the franchise's rebuild.
The rumors are swirling, but is there really some fire with all this smoke? Russell Westbrook is the hot name right now, with the guard potentially getting dealt from Oklahoma City this offseason before he leaves town via free agency next summer. But the high price tag, and the slight possibility that OKC tries to work out an extension, could extinguish those rumors pretty quickly.
One name the Celtics have been connected to since last season's trade deadline is Philadelphia center Jahlil Okafor, a flawed but offensively gifted big man who was the third overall pick just two years ago. Bleacher Report's NBA writer Josh Martin joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's The Adam Jones Show on Wednesday, and said while Okafor is far from perfect, he could be a good fit in Brad Stevens' system in Boston.
"I understand the limitations in his game right now. He's young, but he's a very skilled low-post player. It's easy to forget what he does well if you focus too much on what he doesn't do well. If he becomes a better passer, and he's shown signs of that, he can be a great option for any team, especially the Celtics," said Martin. "There is such great value in the league for a guy who can consistently draw double teams. That's how you generate offense and get wide open shots, by bending a defense one way or another. Okafor can be that type of player, he just needs to be in the right situation and with a team that can deploy him properly and in a situation where he isn't redundant like he is in Philadelphia right now."
Okafor averaged 17.5 points and seven rebounds over 53 games as a rookie last season, but Jones is hoping Ainge snags a bigger fish this summer.
"I would be disappointed if that was their signature trade and they utilize assets for a guy who would have been better served in the NBA 10 years ago," said Jones.
Listen to the full segment below, including Martin's thoughts on Westbrook being dealt:
