Jahlil Okafor
Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) holds the ball away from Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Reuters/Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

There is a chance Joel Embiid’s return could force the Philadelphia 76ers to put Jahlil Okafor on the trading block, according to the latest NBA rumours.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that there is a belief the Philadelphia 76ers would try to move Okafor to give way in pairing Embiid and Nerlens Noel. Pompey noted that a frontcourt tandem of similar players like Okafor and Embiid are unlikely to happen as they are both liabilities on the defensive end.

“So the belief is that the Sixers may try to move Okafor this summer if Embiid is healthy,” Pompey wrote. “If he isn’t, they have to decide between Okafor and Noel.”

Embiid has yet to play for the 76ers after being taken third overall in the 2014 NBA draft. The 7-foot-2 centre had bone graft surgery in August to repair the navicular bone in his right foot following another operation in 2014 that repaired a stress fracture on the same bone.

While the 22-year-old Cameroonian has not played a single game in his NBA career, Embiid is still considered as an upgrade over Okafor defensively. An Embiid and Noel pairing would give the 76ers a defensive frontcourt that could give nightmares to opposing team as long as the twin towers stay healthy.

According to Michael Saenz of Sports Illustrated’s Fansided, trading Okafor could be part of a larger scheme of the 76ers splashing hard in the summer of 2017, when big name free agents are available in the market.

“The summer of 2017 is going to be loaded with big name free agents, and it might be the first summer that Sam Hinkie and the Sixers actually partake,” Saenz wrote. “In order to score big, they’re going to have to show improvement next season. And that starts with some solid decision-making this summer.”

Meanwhile, Okafor has been impressive with in his rookie season with the 76ers, averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds on 50.8 percent shooting from the field. The Duke product, who underwent successful arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a slightly torn meniscus last week, would draw plenty of interests from other NBA rivals if Philadelphia really decides to trade him.

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