J-Speaks: Nets/SIxers Trade

Two years ago, center Jahlil Okafor was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Behind a stellar rookie season where he averaged 17.5 points, seven rebounds, shooting 50.8 percent from the field, he made the NBA All-Rookie First-Team. Injuries, the emergence, and improved health of star center in the making Joel Embiid made Okafor expendable, which resulted in his numbers, and playing time dropping as quick as a rock falling off a cliff. Last Thursday, the consensus No. 1 high school player in his class, who led the Duke Blue Devils to the 2015 national title was granted his wish of a fresh start. 

The Sixers traded Okafor, who averaged 11.8 points, and 4.8 rebounds last season, shooting guard Nik Stauskas, the No. 8 overall pick of the Sacramento Kings in the 2014 draft, and a 2019 Second-Round pick to the Brooklyn Nets, for veteran forward/center Trevor Booker, who averaged 10.5 points, and 6.8 boards on 52.1 percent from the field in 20 games with the Nets. 

“When I first got drafted there, we already had Nerlens (Noel) there, Joel (Embiid) was there, so we’re trying to have three starting centers on the same team,” Okafor, who has averaged just 5.0 points, 4.5 rebounds in just two games played with the Sixers this season said on Monday during his introductory press conference with his new team the Nets on Monday. “It just never really was the right fit.” 

Besides the injuries issues that limited him to just 53, and 50 games in his first two seasons, Okafor had some problems off the hardwood in his time in the city of “Brotherly Love,” from getting a speeding ticket for driving 108 miles per hour, and was suspended by the Sixers for two games after getting in an altercation with a heckler outside a Boston nightclub. 

“Speeding obviously is illegal,” Okafor said of the situation. “I know that’s not what you’re supposed to do. I guess you just learn how the page can turn on you, and how everything can flip. I can’t really say I learned anything, because you know going in that’s not right. You just learn from your mistakes, but (it was) a tough thing that I went through, I got past it, and I’m looking to better times now.” 

Those better times hopefully will be with a Nets team that has played better than expected this season, and now has another young player in Okafor, who turns 22 years of age on Friday, Dec. 15 they will have a chance to look at along with Stauskas to see if they can be core parts of their team in the future. 

Okafor, who as mentioned earlier was chosen No. 3 overall in the draft two seasons back, will be joining guard D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2 overall pick from that draft. 

Russell, who the Nets acquired, along with center Timofey Mozgov over the summer from the Los Angeles Lakers, for center Brook Lopez had off the court problems of his own with the team that drafted him. He received swift criticism for recording a conversation with then teammate Nick Young of how he cheated on then girlfriend Iggy Azalea. That incident, among other things is why the Lakers essentially gave up on Russell, traded him to the Nets, and drafted Lonzo Ball, ironically No. 2 overall back in June. 

“I feel like we’re similar in that we have a lot to prove,” Okafor said of himself, and his new teammate Russell, who is on the shelf right now after knee surgery. “I know he’s working his (butt) off as well. Right now, he’s rehabbing, trying to get back on the court. I think we both have a chip on our shoulder, and we have a lot to prove. We’re definitely similar in that regard.” 

While the Nets got the main player in this deal in Okafor, the big initial question though is who got the better end of this trade between the Atlantic Division rivals. 

This is one of those rare trade that helped both teams out. The Nets got two players in Okafor, and Stauskas that are hungry to prove that they belong in the NBA. Both are young players who have shown flashes of what they could be, but have not been consistent in their play. 

In the case of Staukas, who hails from Mississauga, Ontario, he was traded from the Kings on July 10, 2015 from the Kings along with forwards Carly Landry, and Jason Thompson, and a future First-Round draft pick, and the rights to swap First-Round picks in 2016, and 2017 to the Sixers after just one season. 

While he had two okay years with the team, where he averaged 8.5, and 9.5 points per game respectably, the addition of J.J. Redick over the summer, along with the acquisition of the No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft, which was guard Markelle Fultz out of the University of Washington, Stauskas’ days were numbered. So much so that he only saw action in just six games with the Sixers.  

Here with the Nets (11-15), who scored a 103-98 win versus the Washington Wizards (15-13) on Tuesday night, both know that they will have a chance to show that they play at a high level, and give themselves a chance to still have solid careers in the NBA.  

These are players who fit the mold of what Nets GM Sean Marks wants on the roster. Players with a chip on their shoulder. Eager to show that being overlooked by their previous team was a mistake. Player who were praised at one point in their high school, collegiate or early in their pro career like Okafor, but now are having to start from bottom, and work their way up the latter. 

The Nets know though, it will take time for Okafor, and Stauskas to get acclimated to their new team, and new teammates, which is what head coach Kenny Atkinson said to the press before their Tuesday night tilt versus the Washington Wizards. 

“Anytime you incorporated new players, it takes time,” he said. “It takes time to learn a new system, on both sides of the ball. Getting familiar with their teammates. Just integrating them into the squad takes a little bit. So, where in the process. We had a practice yesterday. We had a practice yesterday. Got one under our belts, so that was good.” 

The other thing that worked against both Okafor, and Stauskas is that they began their NBA careers under tough circumstances. Being selected in the Top 10 of the NBA draft, you are expected to come in, and have an immediate impact on changing the direction of the team that drafted you. In Okafor’s case he was part of what was dubbed, “The Process,” by former Sixers General Manager Sam Hinkie. As mentioned earlier, that process consisted of him, Embiid, Noel, along last season’s No. 1 overall pick forward/guard Ben Simmons. While Okafor did show flashes that he could be the guy who leads them back to respectably, the team had the belief that Embiid, who missed his first two season because of injury, and played in just 31 games last season, would be that franchise changing player, and he has become that this season for the Sixers, along with Simmons. 

This put the current Sixers GM Brian Colangelo in a tough spot, he gambled on the fact that Embiid would eventually get healthy, and be the anchor of the team, which is why he traded Noel to the Dallas Mavericks a season ago, and last week traded Okafor. 

The Sixers (14-13), while they gave up a draft pick, all be it a 2019 pick, did get a solid veteran player in Booker, who will another presence in the locker room along with Amir Johnson, Jerryd Bayless, and J.J. Redick, who have been very valuable assets to head coach Brett Brown with their experience, and knowledge they have accumulated in their years in the NBA. Booker gives the Sixers another rebounder, defender, and a player who will always be ready to play off the bench whether he plays one minute, or 25 minutes. 

This trade was summed up best in a statement by Okafor’s agent, “The organization (Philadelphia 76ers) is in a great position moving forward, and we are very happy that Jahlil can go, and establish himself in a new situation.” 

How Okafor, and Stauskas make the most of this new situation will determine a lot of what happens to them for the remainder of their careers. Coach Atkinson said in his press conference before the Nets’ contest versus the Wizards that he, and his coaching staff will do everything they can to put both in position to succeed here for the rest of this season. 

“We want to both of those guys in position to succeed. In position to help the team,” Atkinson said. “Luckily we have another practice day coming up. So, that will be good. I wish we had four days where we can do a mini training camp, but that’s not the case. So, we as a staff, we’re going to work hard to get those guys up to speed, and ready.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 12/7/17 8 p.m. contest of Los Angeles Lakers versus Philadelphia 76ers on TNT with Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, and David Aldridge; 12/11/17 1 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Casey Stern, Sam Mitchell, and Brent Barry; 12/11/17 “The Associated Press” story via NBA.com, “Jahlil Okafor Excited For Fresh Start with Brooklyn Nets,” by Michael Scotto; 12/12/17 7 p.m. edition of the Brooklyn Nets Pregame show on Yankees’ Entertainment, and Sports Network (YES), presented by Infor with Chris Shearn, report from Nets sideline reporter Michael Grady; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2991042; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3135048; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4270; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahlil_Okafor; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nik_Stauskas.