The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets pulled off a pretty significant trade last night. Brooklyn sent veteran forward Trevor Booker to the Sixers for center Jahlil Okafor, guard Nik Stauskas and a second round pick.
So, who benefits the most from this trade? In the short term, the Sixers do because they get a quality big man in Booker who can play meaningful minutes along their front court. In the long term, the Nets do. They add a talented big man in Okafor who can finally play quality minutes and make an impact. They also add a potential bench piece in Stauskas and a more importantly, a second round pick. They can start to rebuild their roster now that they actually have some picks.
As far as which player stands to gain the most from a fantasy perspective, it’s Okafor. His value went up after the trade. Expect Okafor’s numbers to spike across the board. He will score more points playing in Kenny Atkinson’s system and expect him to continue to rebound the basketball effectively.
Conversely, Booker’s number will take a hit in Philly. He is joining what is already a crowded frontcourt with Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Robert Covington and Amir Johnson. Finding quality minutes will be tough but Booker is a good depth piece nonetheless.
If you need a big that can play center and forward, grab Okafor if he is available on the waiver wire in your league. He will get plenty of minutes for the Nets moving forward and he could be a solid 15/8/4/2 player in terms of his slash line.