The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly sending Trevor Booker to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package centered around Jahlil Okafor.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that the Philadelphia 76ers would be sending Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas and a second-round pick in 2019 to the Brooklyn Nets for Trevor Booker.
Philly will send Okafor, Nik Stauskas, and a second-round pick to Brooklyn for Trevor Booker, sources say.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) December 7, 2017
To create roster space for their two new additions, Brooklyn will be releasing Sean Kilpatrick, per the Vertical’s Shams Charania.
Sources: Brooklyn will receive the Knicks‘ 2019 second-round pick in deal, and release guard Sean Kilpatrick to create roster space for Okafor and Nik Stauskas.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 7, 2017
Okafor, 21, has fallen far out of the Sixers rotation and has only appeared in two games this season for a grand total of just 25 minutes. During that time, the former All-Rookie selection scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Stauskas, 24, is in the same boat. He’s played in six games and averaged 7.5 minutes a night. Even with limited time, Stauskas has been far less productive than Okafor and has scored just four points total.
The Sixers have gotten off to a 13-10 start on the shoulders of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and trading for a player like Booker is a move to tie up any loose strings on the defensive end.
Booker, who turned 30 in November, was enjoying his second season in Brooklyn. He was scoring in double-digits (10.1) for the second-straight year and embodied the gritty style that Kenny Atkinson preached.
The Nets are much improved from last year but haven’t yet reached their full potential. Going into their game on Thursday night, Brooklyn is 9-14 overall.
Getting younger is something Sean Marks has focused on since inheriting the job. Booker — despite being a productive player — was on the last year of his contract, and it’s unclear if the Nets wanted any future with him.
Okafor is also in the last year of his deal, and the 76ers have been looking for a trade partner for some time. As a rookie, he averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, but questions arose about his capabilities on defense and also if his offense would become more perimeter-oriented.
Stauskas’ inclusion in the deal is odd, but the Nets must see something in him. Last year, he shot 36.8 percent from three, and Brooklyn is no stranger to barrages from the perimeter.
Both Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas are former lottery picks, with the former going third overall in 2015 and the latter eighth in 2014.
