In a trade deal last Thursday, Philadelphia 76ers announced that in exchange for forward Trevor Brooker, they have traded big man Jahlil Okafor, guard Nik Stauskas, and a second-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets.
"We are excited about the prospects of both Jahlil and Nik, as well as adding another future asset which will aid us in our continued roster development," said General Manager Sean Marks.
"This trade provides us with a good opportunity to bring in two young players who were high picks in recent drafts and give them a chance to succeed in our system."
To make way for Okafor and Stauskas, the Nets will release Sean Kilpatrick. Okafor now has a chance to finally make some noise since he has only managed to clock in 25 minutes overall last season and failed to make it on the Sixers' last 13 games.
Okafor's trade deal didn't really cost the Sixers much since his asking price has dropped quite a bit since last season. Philly refused Okafor's fourth-year option this season; therefore, the trade is somewhat relieving on both sides. Following several months of issues, Philly could finally save face because of the trade.
Of course, Okafor couldn't wait to finally alter the course of his career. In an interview with ESPN last November, he said, "I would like for them to just send me somewhere where I can get an opportunity. I've done everything they've asked of me and I would just like to get an opportunity to play with a trade or a buyout."
Meanwhile, Stauskas new position in the nets will also give him an ample opportunity to fill in his shoes, as the Nets' system fire off the second-most 3-point attempts per game in the NBA (33.9) behind only the Rockets (44.0). Additionally, Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson will make sure that Stauskas will thrive off his bench.
Because of this, Brooklyn Nets now has the top three picks from the 2015 NBA Draft on its team. Okafor occupies the third spot, with D'Angelo Russell right behind him, and Karl-Anthony Towns as the top overall choice.
