After the trade deadline in February, Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said in a radio appearance he was close to completing a big trade. In the proposed move, the Celtics would have given up the Brooklyn Nets' 2016 draft pick that Boston ended up using to select Jaylen Brown at No. 3 overall. Ainge declined to name his target, but soon thereafter, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported that it was Philadelphia 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor.

Since then, the rumors involving Okafor and the Celtics have kept reappearing. On Monday, CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely reported that league executives think that the player Boston is most likely to acquire this summer is Okafor, as the Sixers would be more reluctant to give up center Nerlens Noel.

Here is why this stuff won't go away:

  • The whole world knows Philadelphia has a logjam in the frontcourt, especially now that they have a pair of rookie playmaking 4s in Ben Simmons and Dario Saric. Even before then, the Sixers were never expected to keep Okafor, Noel and Joel Embiid -- the potential franchise player who is expected to finally make his NBA debut this coming season -- for the long haul. Whether the Celtics are involved, it would be a surprise if Philadelphia started the season with both Okafor and Noel. It is even conceivable both could be moved.
  • The whole world knows Boston wants to make deals. Ainge has stockpiled draft picks and young players, and he does not intend on keeping all of them. If an elite player becomes available on the trade market, the Celtics will be in position to make a great offer. Okafor is not an elite player, but his offensive talent could still be enticing for Boston. He is one of the most skilled post players to enter the league in years, and coach Brad Stevens never had that kind of weapon at his disposal until the addition of Al Horford.
  • Theoretically, Horford and Okafor can play together. Neither one of them is a great shot blocker, but Horford is a smart, strong and agile enough defender to make it work. Horford's ability to stretch the floor helps, too. It's hard to hide some of Okafor's flaws, but Stevens showed with Evan Turner that he's capable of getting the most out of someone who had before looked out of place in the modern NBA.
  • In the right system, if he works on his weaknesses, Okafor could become an All-Star player. In college, he was a much better passer than he showed in his first year in the NBA. With his size, there is no reason he can't improve as a rebounder. His touch around the basket indicates he can add range to his jump shot. He probably won't become a dominant defender, but if he's committed to it, he should eventually be able to play effective team defense. If you watch his footwork and the way he scores around the basket, it's easy to talk yourself into the Celtics -- or another team -- grooming him into something special.
Jahlil Okafor drives in Boston
Jahlil Okafor would be interesting in Boston. USATSI

The issue is that you need two sides to make a deal. If Boston were willing to meet Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo's asking price, then this would already be done. Even though it was Sam Hinkie, not Colangelo, who drafted Okafor No. 3 overall last June, it is understandable Philadelphia would not want to part with him without getting significant value in return.

If you're the Celtics, though, would you surrender a Nets pick for Okafor? Given what Brooklyn's roster looks like, that doesn't seem smart. You can scratch Brown, versatile forward Jae Crowder, All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, lockdown defender Avery Bradley and the improving Marcus Smart off the list, too. This means that, realistically, the Sixers would be looking at players like Kelly Olynyk, Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, Jordan Mickey, James Young and Guerschon Yabusele, plus Boston draft picks. Maybe there's a deal that makes sense in there, but there's not an obvious one. It's unclear if Colangelo is high on any of those guys, and his first priority is probably finding a young, productive wing player.

Okafor could end up with the Celtics before the end of the summer, but both sides probably have to bend a little. Boston doesn't want to get rid of a ton of assets for anything less than a star, and Philadelphia doesn't want to trade him merely for the sake of trading him. There is no indication, however, that the speculation is about to stop.