NBA Trade Rumors: Could The Lakers And Jahlil Okafor Work?

Though it is still uncertain what the Los Angeles Lakers want to do before the NBA trade deadline next month, there is still the fact they are a team that is in a rebuilding mode and one that needs to keep moving in the right direction.

With first-year head coach Luke Walton this season, the Lakers have jumped to 12th in the Western Conference with a 13-25 overall record, so there is still a lot of work ahead for this once-winning franchise. For the Lakers to keep building on to this season and into future seasons, they could make a big-time trade to gain an advantage for next season, too.

One thing about the Lakers this season is they can play offense. At sacbee.com, they described the Lakers offense under Walton as “free-flowing” in a recent article by Jason Jones:

“He’s brought a free-flowing style that allows guards to flourish, drawing from his time as an assistant with Golden State.”

The player who might work for them is Philadelphia 76ers second-year center Jahlil Okafor. The 6-11, 275-pound center out of Duke is just 21 years old and this season is averaging 10.7 points per game. He’s also averaging 4.8 rebounds per game on a team that is 9-24 in the Eastern Conference and going nowhere fast.

Okafor is only averaging 23.1 minutes per game in this past nine games, and for any player to see improvement at the NBA level, they need to play more than that. Though to be fair, he’s currently nursing a hamstring injury and is sharing time on the court.

#DidYouKnow?: #Sixers are 4-5 when Joel Embiid and Ersan Ilyasova are both in starting lineup and 1-5 w/ Embiid and Jahlil Okafor. #NBA pic.twitter.com/UKPiG0gLDP

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) December 31, 2016

In Okafor’s most recent game on Jan. 3 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, he came off the bench to play 10 minutes, scoring two points due to the injury. He missed the game against the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 30, and in his three games before that, the center totaled 25 points combined in those games.

For Okafor to be successful, he needs to join a team like the Lakers who are working toward the past success they’ve once achieved, unlike the 76ers, where years of high first-round selections haven’t worked out very well regarding winning games. The question for Okafor is can he play in the offense of Walton and the Lakers?

How well can Okafor and a trade to the Lakers work out for the two? Okafor to the Lakers would be a nice boost at center, as Timofey Mozgov isn’t the player the Lakers hoped he would be after signing him to a four-year, $64 million deal this past summer. The Lakers center averages 8.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg this season, so something needs to change there and soon. Mozgov isn’t improving over the past 10 games at 7.2 ppg in around 22 minutes per game on the court.

Though the Lakers did make a big mistake in guaranteeing so much money to Mozgov during free agency, they can still try to package him into some type of deal with the 76ers for Okafor, because the 76ers need to trade at least one of their big men to have a chance at eventually one day competing in the East.

Okafor could be the player the Lakers receive that could work for them because they have a young core of players too, but the difference between the Lakers and the 76ers is they all aren’t “big men” and wouldn’t have to share time on the court.

.@PompeyOnSixers presents some trade scenarios for Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor: https://t.co/Oa6oKDpGUA

— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) December 25, 2016

That said, CSN Philly doesn’t mention Okafor in any type of trade possibility with the Lakers, but does mention teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics and the in the trade article by Jessica Camerato. The article states the following on Okafor and a trade to the Celtics:

“Even though the Celtics locked in Al Horford for a mega-deal in the offseason, the veteran big can also play further out from the five spot, which could make way for Okafor to score in the middle.”

That is interesting, but couldn’t the Lakers use a big man like Okafor too, even with a center like Mozgov under a big contract for the foreseeable future? The Lakers can make a few different moves before the NBA trade deadline.

From the time that deadline expires, though, look for the Lakers to be involved in various trade talks and rumors, especially for players who can send them to the next level in their current rebuild.

[Featured Image by Rick Bowmer/AP Photo]