Jahlil Okafor was Almost a Celtic, Darn

“They just backed out. So it was a deal that was talked about, thought about, and that was probably the closest that we came.” – Danny Ainge

The Boston Celtics were one of most rumored teams leading up to the trade deadline this past week. They ended up not making a move, to many people’s disappointment, but were actually very close to pulling off a blockbuster deal.

“One story I probably can share with you is — I can’t tell you the team or the name — but it was very close,” Danny Ainge told 98.5 The Sports Hub during his weekly interview. Ainge, according to Masslive.com, also added, “It’s something that we had been deliberating on for two days straight. The other team was doing that, and we were wrapping ourselves around a big package to do a deal. And at the very last minute they just said they did not want to do it. They just backed out. So it was a deal that was talked about, thought about, and that was probably the closest that we came.”

Who could they have possibly been targeting? It seemed like every possible trade scenario for any team was in some sort of rumor, especially if it involved the Boston Celtics. Well, the player that Ainge was talking about was, Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

This would have for sure been the blockbuster trade everyone was waiting, and hoping for, leading up to the deadline. While Okafor was in many trade rumors, the Celtics were not one of the rumored teams to be interested in the rookie big man.

There is no doubt that Okafor would have been a great fit in Boston, and would have made an impact right away. The rookie out of Duke has gotten into some off-court issues this season though, which made a lot of teams a little weary with him. He has been involved in two fights outside of bars, was caught using a fake ID, and was going 108 mph in a 45 zone. All these altercations have been very surprising as Okafor is known as a very quiet kid, who didn’t cause problems while at Duke. These mishaps may have been due to the added freedom of being an adult or the lack of veteran presence in Philadelphia to help guide the 20-year old. Either way, those altercations are unacceptable, but Okafor has apologized and took responsibility for those actions.

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On the court, Okafor would have fit very well with the Celtics’ system. However, defensively, Okafor has struggled in the NBA, although, that was known about him coming out of Duke. His defensive rating of 108 is atrocious, but Brad Stevens is one of the best coaches in the league and does a great job at covering up player’s weaknesses. The Celtics are one of the most defensively sound teams in the league, and they would have been able to help Okafor grow, defensively, and make up for his poor defense right now.

There’s a reason Okafor is so valuable though, and it’s not because of his defense. Coming out of Duke, Okafor was one of the most polished offensive big men we’ve seen in years. His post-up game is way beyond his years, and that is because his foot work was as good as anyone’s in this past year’s draft.

Okafor leads all rookies with 17.1 points per game, and is third with 7.3 rebounds per game and 11 double-doubles. He is in the running for Rookie of the Year honors and should be on an All-NBA Rookie Team.

His strong inside game would have been a huge addition for the Celtics. He’s the back to the basket player that Boston was looking for. He has an underdeveloped jump shot, reminding me a lot of a young Blake Griffin. Although, he isn’t as athletic as Griffin, I think his inside game is a lot better.

Okafor shoots 65.8 percent from 0-3 feet away, as 40.1 percent of his shots are from that distance. He’s someone who will stay on the block down low and not leave on offense. He would have been the perfect down low fit for Boston, considering how spread out they play now with all their shooters.

It was a little surprising that Philadelphia did not pull the trigger. While Okafor has the ability to be one of the best offensive big men in the league one day, his and Nerlen Noel‘s games don’t compliment each other as well as Philly were hoping. The 76ers are also expecting Joel Embiid to finally make his NBA debut next season.

The Celtics were willing to give up the Brooklyn Nets‘ pick in the deal, along with more. While losing the third overall pick in last year’s draft, the 76ers could possibly have another top-five selection with the Nets’ pick. The 76ers also own their own (probable top-five) and the Los Angeles Lakers‘ (top three protected) pick in this year’s draft. I’m surprised they weren’t willing to try their luck at three possible, and probable, top five-picks in the upcoming draft.

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If the Celtics were able to pull off this deal, Danny Ainge would once again have gone for an under the radar player, and pulled off a ridiculously helpful blockbuster deal at the deadline. Okafor would be someone worth giving up the Brooklyn pick for, especially in a weaker draft. While he may not have pushed the Celtics over the top this season, he is one of the bright, young players in the league and his rookie-scale contract only makes him that much more valuable.