NBA Draft Rumors: Teams most likely to trade on draft day
By Tom West
Philadelphia 76ers
There’s no surprise at all that the 76ers need to appear here. We’ve been hearing for some time now that they’ve been interested in trading either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor, with Noel possibly going to Atlanta in exchange for Jeff Teague.
Well, now that’s out of the question after Teague was dealt to the Indiana Pacers, the 76ers will be looking elsewhere, but they haven’t slowed down in their trade pursuits at all.
In fact, as if the 1st overall pick to take Ben Simmons wasn’t enough for them, ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford have reported that they’re hoping to acquire the 3rd overall pick from the Boston Celtics, too:
"The Philadelphia 76ers are increasing their efforts to acquire the No. 3 pick from the Boston Celtics in Thursday night’s NBA draft, league sources tell ESPN. Numerous rivals described the 76ers as the most active team in circulation, with a trade involving Nerlens Noel looking more and more likely."
With his athleticism and interior defense, not to mention being only 22 years old, Noel has value and can bring solid rim protection for a team looking to bolster their frontcourt. What they’ll need to partner him with to land the 3rd overall pick from the Celtics, though, is yet to be seen, and there have already been murmurs that Okafor would be the big in play in such a trade.
As Stein and Ford pointed out, they could be the most active team on draft day, increasing the likelihood of trade, no matter who the partner may be. They also have two picks in the twenties, both of which could be attainable.
If they do land another pick in the top three, a possible duo of Simmons and Kris Dunn coming to Philly should certainly excite fans.
Next: Hawks eager to make a trade?