Despite losing the New Orleans Pelicans as a trade partner, Sunday was a great day for the Sixers’ future.
But with DeMarcus Cousins now entrenched as the center in New Orleans, potential trade fits for the Sixers to ship away Jahlil Okafor are dwindling away in the hours leading up to the Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline.
With the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Pelicans all seemingly finished with trades for centers, only the Chicago Bulls remain as a team that’s been connected to the second-year big man.
Unless a dark horse emerges.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Dallas Mavericks have shown interest in Oakfor in the past and could again before this year’s deadline passes.
A source said that the Mavericks had previously inquired about Okafor, and could revisit those talks as the deadline nears.
For the Sixers, Dallas could represent a life jacket for a trade deadline that’s been, well, botched. For the Mavericks, a team caught between retooling and trying to be as competitive as possible in Dirk Nowitzki’s final seasons, Okafor could be looked at as a lottery ticket that has a chance to become something valuable down the line.
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Outside of 32-year-old Andrew Bogut and 30-year-old Salah Mejri, 24-year-old A.J. Hammons is the only center with upside on Dallas roster. Heading into play on Feb. 20, Bogut (3.0 points per game) was the leading scorer among traditional centers on the Mavericks roster.
Okafor, in limited time this season, is averaging 11.4 points per game in Philadelphia.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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