Jahlil Okafor Upset Over 'Fraudulent' Story, Reporter Responds
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's no debate: The Philadelphia 76ers have a big man problem.
Both head coach Brett Brown and general manager Bryan Colangelo even admitted to such a couple of weeks ago, with Brown saying he would be "surprised" if the Sixers started the season with their current crop of big men.
Over the weekend, long-time Sixers reporter Tom Moore of the Bucks Country Courier Times, reported that the team wanted to trade Jahlil Okafor and the 2015 No. 3 overall pick is upset, as a result of the trade rumors.
"I was told that the Sixers quote, 'tried like hell to trade Okafor,' unquote," Moore told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show. "And that as a result of trying and it is not happening that he is quote, 'Upset and his people are upset.' Closed quote."
Listen: Tom Moore on the 94WIP Morning Show
Okafor -- a 6-11, 275-pound 20-year-old center -- took exception to Moore's report and voiced his displeasure Sunday night on Twitter.
Moore was asked to respond to Okafor's tweets on Monday morning.
"Well, the last thing he said, I don't know if I ever said the one," Moore said. "I said upset about trade rumors, but I'm not sure about being upset in Philly. I'm not sure exactly where that -- if that's another report, or what that is. But I mean, athletes tend to not be thrilled if they find out their team is looking to trade them especially when you're a high draft pick and appear to be a cornerstone of the future. And maybe, like a knee jerk reaction was to respond that and perhaps now realizing that it looks like there's a much better chance that one of the big guys won't be traded than there was less than three weeks ago. You know, the reality of it. Perhaps that's part of it. I'm not sure."
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Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a rookie last season, playing in 53 games. However, the offensive oriented center struggled defensively at times.
"I think either the Sixers might be overvaluing their young big guys or other teams are undervaluing their young big guys," Moore said, when asked why the Sixers haven't been able to trade him so far. "And they're also not dealing from a position of strength because teams around the league know that the Sixers would like to move a big guy. Bryan Colangelo is a big proponent of roster balance.
"And I think a third thing that's hurting is the fact that the league seems to be going away from the value of a traditional low post center that Jahlil Okafor is, and 15-20 years he would have been in huge demand."
