National Basketball Association

NBA Rumors Shopping For Philadelphia 76ers Center? Price May Be Going Up

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:22 p.m. ET

Fansided, Bret Stuter/FanSided via The Sixer Sense

Overnight, the landscape of the NBA has changed. With Cleveland improving, other playoff teams must now follow suit. But for NBA Rumors about teams shopping for a Philadelphia 76ers center? The asking price may be going up

The Philadelphia 76ers had nothing to lose by waiting. After all, from the moment the team spoke plain language voicing concerns about the logjam at center, NBA rumors began. But the rumors seemed to compete as to which team offered the lowest value offer possible.

Yes, things are changing rapidly now, as events this time of year on the NBA calendar tend to do. The NFL season is over for more than half the teams. Baseball is still months away. And NHL Hockey? Well, teams are warming up for the real hockey – the NHL playoffs.

That leaves fans coming to check out the NBA. And the NBA has plenty to offer right now. The NBA trade deadline is 23 February 2017. The NBA All Star events run from 17-19 February 2017.
Meanwhile, this is the first “systems check” for NBA playoff hopeful teams.

For non-playoff teams, it’s a different kind of test. Now personnel offices must decide which players to commit to, and which can escape the team via the trading block. The Atlanta Hawks seems to have made that decision despite their current trajectory into another playoff round.

Atlanta Hawks are “actively” picking up trade talks surrounding Paul Millsap with multiple teams. (Via The Vertical)

— Clevis Murray (@ClevisMurray) January 6, 2017

The Atlanta Hawks have a curious strategy going right now.

Jan 5, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) sits on the bench during the first quarter of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Cavaliers fire the first shot

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not hesitate. They fired the first shot to the NBA in trading for Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks. While that seems like a curious move from the Atlanta Hawks perspective, it certainly does plenty to bolster the Cavaliers strength heading into another playoff run.

The Cavs’ trade for Kyle Korver means urgency for the Raptors and Celtics (by @BenGolliver) https://t.co/Ju1NLCI8Lv pic.twitter.com/g77XkBl9tF

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 6, 2017

In a very well written article by Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver, the move by Cleveland will place tremendous pressure on both Danny Ainge of the Celtics and Masai Ujiri of the Raptors. In short, the gauntlet has been tossed.

“Now that Cleveland has plucked Kyle Korver from Atlanta, addressing a relatively minor roster weakness, the spotlight brightens on Toronto’s Masai Ujiri and Boston’s Danny Ainge. Will one of these two well-respected, calculating executives finally swing the type of deal (or deals) necessary to truly challenge LeBron James’s run of six consecutive Finals appearances?”

Momentum has shifted now. Pressure is no longer on Bryan Colangelo to “DO SOMETHING!”. Now, the pressure is on playoff teams who have noticeable weaknesses in their roster.

Sep 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) and guards DeMar DeRozan (10) and Kyle Lowry (7) pose for pictures during media day at BioSteel Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Raptors

Perhaps the most pressure right now is upon the Toronto Raptors. The team boast an incredible backcourt, and yet they cannot defeat top NBA teams. Why?

To answer that, you look at anomalies. Statistics that hover near the bottom of the NBA. And there is your bogey.

The Raptors are not good at rebounding. It’s that simple. Their big man, Jonas Valanciunas, accounts for 22.5 percent of the team’s total, and he is only getting 5.6 percent of the playing time.

He needs help. And help is readily available. The Raptors simply need to talk it out with former GM Bryan Colangelo. The groundwork for a deal has already been laid. In the end, the deal would look very much like a hinging upon re-taining Nerlens Noel to happen. But if the Raptors want longevity, they could change everything up by taking Jahlil Okafor instead. Okafor has better offensive upside, has improved in rebounding, and his post game would compliment the back court duo of DeRozan and Lowry.

Raptors get Jahlil OkaforNext: Danny Discount

Jan 26, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge looks on prior to the game against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Danny Discount Ainge

And then there is Danny Ainge of the rival Boston Celtics. He was also a general manager that was oh-so-close to a deal which fell through. Since that time, we’ve been watching persistent NBA rumors link the 76ers and the Celtics.

But in the scenario analysis at the time, few acknowledged the likelihood of a senior Colangelo in the ranks. Would he have allowed the 76ers former president to succeed while he was working on a deal to bring his son into the fold, as the boss?

In any case, a deal that was ready to go was suddenly not. But now it’s a new day, and the pressure is back on Ainge. A playoff team truly does not benefit much today from draft picks, and right now, the Celtics realize that they have a short window. What do they need?

Front court help. They are far worse at the statistic than the Raptors. When center Al Horford was unable to go, the team appeared to be very beatable. So what could the Celtics do for the here and the now? That team is loaded with draft picks. Meaningless if the team intends to win now.

A trade between these two teams seems obvious, so why not? Again, the celtics likely balk at committing to Noel for a part of a season. So why not consider Jahlil Okafor?