The Boston Celtics’ ongoing quest to find the right deal to cash in on all their assets continues to prove fruitless.
According to a report by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday, Boston is unwilling to give up much to acquire Sixers center Jahlil Okafor, citing in part concern with Okafor’s various off-court incidents of the last year.
The Celtics have been linked to the 20-year-old big man on several occasions over the last few months. Philadelphia has also appeared to be actively gauging the market for Okafor, which has led to widespread rumors that have frustrated even Okafor himself.
Either way, Okafor, a heavy-usage post player and a poor defender, would likely prove an imperfect fit on the Celtics roster next to their perimeter scorers and new free agent addition Al Horford.
With other rumors of potential blockbuster trades by Boston ultimately proving to be smoke, the team is entering into a precarious position. It’s almost as if the Celtics have stockpiled too much talent and are overestimating the worth of that talent, leading to an impasse in trade negotiations with other teams. As such, Boston has become forced to deal with their surplus of players by stashing some overseas or having others rot on the end of the bench. If the Celtics don’t find the right deal soon, the value of many of their assets could depreciate and such a deal might never get done.
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