Lakers Trade Rumors: Jahlil Okafor Deal Not on Radar

The Philadelphia 76ers are still keeping a Jahlil Okafor trade on the table for any suitors, but the Lakers reportedly aren’t one of the teams even close to biting

The Los Angeles Lakers are obviously in a position of power heading into the 2016 NBA Draft. Not only do they have the obvious power with the No. 2 overall pick to take the second best player in the draft (or the first if the second-best is taken at No. 1), but they also have leverage in any potential trades that could arise if they were to want to move down and acquire more assets.

One such move that had been rumored in the past was a potential trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for Jahlil Okafor. The Sixers have been widely reported to have made both Okafor and Nerlens Noel available for the right price and the Lakers were one of the teams said to be interested in trading for the 76ers’ 2016 first-rounder.

However, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders says that, despite those early reports that the Lakers could potentially be a team that would make a play for Okafor, his sources say that’s not the case in the slightest:

This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone—and to anyone it does surprise, this should come as a huge relief.

Even though the Lakers were interested in Okafor last offseason leading up to the draft and chose to select D’Angelo Russell ahead of him, there’s obviously a reason why they chose to pass on him in the first place. Why then would they mortgage an asset (or other potential assets) to acquire Okafor this offseason?

Next: 2016 NBA Draft: Ranking the Top 100 Prospects

Quite frankly, it just wasn’t a move that ever really made sense for either side when it was rumored. So to see this rumor closer to the 2016 NBA Draft that squashes the notion of a trade is more expected than anything. Of course, stranger things have happened than a weird trade gaining steam again—so stay tuned.