NBA Trade Rumors for 2016-17 Season: Embiid Finally Healthy, Noel and Okafor in Sixers Trade Block, Dragic Takes on Bigger Role in Heat
NBA training camps will begin after about a month from now, and teams are beginning to settle with their newfound players. But trade rumors continue to make noise as fans and experts anticipate NBA teams' next moves. With some free agents still unable to find a team, there is a sense that there are still a couple of moves waiting to reach limelight.
1. Joel Embiid Finally Healthy
It's been two years since Joel Embiid was the number 3 overall draft pick back in 2014, yet he hasn't played a single NBA game due to injuries. Now, as the 2016-17 regular season is about to begin, Embiid says he is ready to lace up his game shoes and play for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Embiid says, "I feel 100 percent and ready to get started. My summer has been great. We have been working on a lot this summer, and I got a chance to play a little bit against the guys, and it has been going great."
Embiid had to undergo two foot surgeries which caused him to miss two seasons. He played for University of Kansas before declaring draft eligibility in the NBA. He averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game with the Jayhawks.
The 7'2" Embiid lists a crowded 76ers front court, with Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Richaun Holmes, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons and Carl Landry. Philadelphia will sooner or later trade one or some of these big men so that Embiid can put in decent playing minutes.
2. Noel and Okafor, Best Trading Chips for 76ers
According to Derek Bodner from Philly Mag, Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor are the two best players that Philadelphia 76ers need to trade to loosen up the overcrowded front court of the team.
He added that Joel Embiid shouldn't be traded, not only because he is the most talented in the bunch, but also because the Sixers has spent a lot of time and effort rehabilitating him and curing his injuries.
Analyzing how well the Sixers team fared with either Noel or Okafor on the court, Bodner found out that in general, when Nerlens Noel plays, the Sixers team performs a little bit better on the defensive end. On the offensive side, he added that Okafor could develop into a 25 ppg scorer, but he needs to be more consistent when it comes to helping out when the ball isn't in his hand.
3. Goran Dragic Takes on a Bigger Role
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Goran Dragic will be given an opportunity to play more aggressively on offense, now that Dwyane Wade is gone.
Dragic has shown that he is capable of putting up bigger numbers when Wade isn't on the court. Erik Spoelstra, in a Heat video, said that there aren't too many players like Dragic in terms of his speed and ability to facilitate the offense.
With Wade now playing for the Chicago Bulls, Spoelstra emphasized the need to maximize the strengths of Justise Winslow, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic. With Dragic, Spoelstra said he "is one of the best fast-break transition point guards in the game."
Dragic averaged 14.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game last season.
