The Brooklyn Nets have set their eyes on the future.
The Nets will reportedly acquire former 2015 2nd overall pick Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas and a 2019 second round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for PF Trevor Booker, Shams Charania of The Vertical first reported. Brooklyn is waiving PG Sean Kilpatrick to make room for Okafor and Stauskas.
Okafor has appeared in just two games for the 76ers this season, but averaged 17.5 points and seven rebounds over 30 minutes in his rookie season back in 2015-16. Okafor missed the latter part of last season after tearing his meniscus in March. A change of scenery in Brooklyn could be beneficial, but it remains unclear what Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson will do with Okafor, as the Nets already have three centers in Tyler Zeller (18.3 MPG), Jarrett Allen (15.9 MPG) and Timofey Mozgov (15.1 MPG). Brooklyn has also flexed Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to center on occasion.
The other player headed to Brooklyn, Nik Stauskas, has rode the pine for the majority of the season to date. He has appeared in just six games this season, mostly in garbage time. Stauskas could potentially see some time off the bench with D’Angelo Russell still out indefinitely, but will more than likely remain out of the rotation especially when Russell returns.
The 76ers get a solid, veteran rebounder in Trevor Booker, who turned 30 last month. Booker is averaging 10.1 points (career-high), 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 21.9 minutes per game for 18 games (5 starts) in Brooklyn this season.
