ESPN’s Bob Ford: ‘High likelihood’ Sixers deal Okafor or Noel sooner rather than later

 By: Brandon Apter, managing editor

Whether the Sixers will go with Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram is still up in the air. Besides that topic, there has also been plenty of talk regarding Jahlil Okafor and a possible trade that could net Philadelphia another high draft pick, which they reportedly covet. 

Although Joel Embiid's health should be a big deciding factor in the decision, one NBA Insider thinks that Philadelphia will act on a trade sooner rather than later, whether it be with Noel or Okafor. Okafor's value could land the team a high pick to select a talented young guard in the draft, whether that be Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray. Meanwhile, Noel could land the Sixers an asset as well, but belief is that Okafor would net a bigger return.

 Here's what ESPN's Chad Ford had to say about the situation in an interview with 97.3 ESPN on Thursday.

I think that there's a very high likelihood, that whether it's to move up in the draft or use them to grab a free agent in a sign and trade or just to a trade, that you will not see the Nerlens Noel-Jahlil Okafor pairing at the start of next season. I think that they'll gauge the interest of both players. I think that there might be a slight preference for Noel, to keep him around with the Sixers, and I think you might be right, there might be a slight, better value for Okafor out on the market, but I think everyone agrees that that combination of those two players doesn't necessarily work.

The Sixers needs to pick up assets, especially if they're gonna go ahead and do a Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram with the first pick in the draft. Then they're gonna need those assets to start to fill out their backcourt, because the 24th pick and [the 26th pick], you're not finding starters. I'm not even sure that you're necessarily finding rotation players at that back end of the draft that are gonna make big impact, so they're gonna have to do that via free agency or via trade, and I think either Okafor or Noel — I don't think they'll trade both — but one of those two is probably their best trade chip.

Ford goes on to mention that he believes the Sixers would prefer to keep Noel because Okafor's game is very similar to that of Joel Embiid and he doesn't pose too many issues off the court. Okafor was involved in an altercation outside a Boston night club and also was caught speeding, going 108mph over the Ben Franklin Brighe.

If he were running the team, Ford would deal Okafor to the Celtics without question.

If I was Philadelphia, it would be done tomorrow. I don't know if Boston would do it, but for Philadelphia, 100 percent. That would allow them to actually I think bring in another guard, an elite guard, whether that's Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray, and suddenly now you've got a very, very bright future. I think that's an easy call for the Sixers if Boston would do it.

There are many different roads the Sixers could go down over the next 28 days before they are on the clock in the 2016 NBA Draft on June 23 in New York City.