Sixers/Nets Trade Notes: Reactions, Analysis, More

After spending the better part of 2017 on the trade block, Jahlil Okafor finally has a new NBA home, with the Sixers and Nets completing a trade on Thursday that sent Okafor, Nik Stauskas, and a 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Trevor Booker. We’ve got several notes related to that deal to pass along this morning, so let’s dive right in…

Analysis:

• Acquiring Okafor is another shrewd move for the Nets as they continue to rebuild their roster, writes Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. While Okafor didn’t generate a ton of interest on the trade market, one Western Conference exec tells Mannix that his team would have had “strong interest” in the third-year center as a free agent. “He’s a good player,” said that Western exec. “He’s probably never going to be a great player, but he will always be a very good scorer. You go get guys like that when you can.”
• In the view of Derek Bodner of The Athletic, the Sixers essentially traded a future second-round pick for Booker, prompting Bodner to examine whether the veteran forward is worth it. Although the Athletic scribe isn’t quite sure about Booker’s fit, he notes that the deal improves Philadelphia’s bench and doesn’t put much of a dent into the team’s draft-pick stash.
• Okafor has a chance to be a very good offensive player for the Nets, says Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype.
• ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) isn’t overly bullish on the trade for either team, giving the Nets a grade of B, and the Sixers a C. Even though Pelton likes Brooklyn’s side a little better, he notes that opening up a roster spot and adding some extra depth at power forward could pay off for Philadelphia.

Reactions:

• Okafor is “extremely” excited to be a Net, a source close to the former third overall pick tells Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports.
• Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Booker said that he wasn’t too surprised by the deal, since he felt like he might be moved at some point in 2017/18. More than anything, Booker says, he’s excited to go to an “up-and-coming team” like the Sixers, adding that he could picture himself in Philadelphia long-term if the team wants to keep him around beyond this season.
• Joel Embiid engaged in some playful trash talk with his longtime teammate in the wake of the trade, as Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets. “I made sure to let [Okafor] know that I was going to kick his ass,” Embiid said. “We play them four times a year.” The Sixers’ star center added – on a more serious note – that he’s “really happy” for Okafor, who is a good friend (Twitter link).

Other notes:

• We typically like to break down the salary cap implications of each major NBA trade, including how the deal creates trade exceptions or impacts a club’s long-term cap outlook. However, there aren’t many cap-related items to pass along on the Sixers/Nets swap. The Nets remain under the cap, so they can’t create a trade exception, and the 76ers won’t get one either.
• Booker, Okafor, and Stauskas all have expiring contracts, meaning neither team will create or give up any cap room for the summer of 2018. Booker will be an unrestricted free agent, while Stauskas will be eligible for restricted free agency, though he seems unlikely to get a qualifying offer. As for Okafor, he’ll be unrestricted, but the Nets won’t be able to offer him a starting salary worth more than about $6.3MM (the value of his declined 2018/19 option) if they want to re-sign him.
• CBA rules prevent a team from acquiring a player with an exception and then aggregating his salary with another salary in a trade during the next two months. For instance, the Sixers couldn’t immediately combine Booker’s $9MM+ salary with Amir Johnson‘s $11MM salary to trade for a player earning $20MM+. However, that two-month restriction will lift just before the 2018 trade deadline, which falls on February 8.