[INSIDER REQUEST]: 5-on-5: Should 76ers trade Okafor? Will Joel Embiid make an impact?

1. What do you foresee and advise for the Sixers this offseason?

Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Draft the best player available who also happens to fill a need: Ben Simmons. Beyond Simmons, I hope that new GM Bryan Colangelo takes this season to see what they have in Dario Saric and Joel Embiid before they make drastic decisions. I know it's not what fans want to hear, but this is an inventory season.

The conundrum of the No. 1 pick is interesting: Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram both represent styles of the future, the playmaking big and the long, lean perimeter shooter, respectively. Regardless of which they direction they go, the Sixers have to complement the pick with players who accentuate his strengths.

Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN Insider: I'd take Simmons with the No. 1 pick, as I think he'll be significantly better than Ingram. They should generally select the best player available with every pick, as the current roster is so devoid of talent.

If they can somehow lure good 3-and-D veteran wings and guards that are also a good locker room presence -- for instance, Jared Dudley and Courtney Lee -- it would be a big plus. Mike Conley would be a home run.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: The challenge will be to strike a balance between remaining patient and moving the needle toward the .500 mark. After drafting Ben Simmons, the Sixers should be overly abundant in young forwards, so clearly you want to reset the roster with one or two young veteran guards. Doing that via the trade market seems like the best bet because the Sixers aren't well positioned to lure impact free agents.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: I think the Sixers are more likely to trade Jahlil Okafor than Nerlens Noel. What the return is shapes the rest of their offseason, since getting a young guard back would solidify that spot. I also see Philadelphia adding a veteran wing in the Arron Afflalo/Courtney Lee ilk and potentially looking at a point guard upgrade like Jeremy Lin.

2. What do you expect from Joel Embiid going forward?

Elhassan: I don't know that anyone knows the answer to this question, other than perhaps his doctor. But let's just assume for the moment that he's 100 percent healthy with no concerns moving forward. He has to demonstrate a higher level of maturity than he has exhibited thus far, and that comes with having a more mature locker room with players who are not afraid to police it.

Finally, on the court, we've got to look for patience, because this is a young man who will be almost three years removed from competitive basketball.

Doolittle: A promising rookie-type season in which his minutes are monitored. It will be interesting to see if he has been able to add to his game, which is never easy to do with a lower-body injury. But if he stays healthy, he'll excite Sixers fans just by running the floor, dunking and blocking shots.

Engelmann: Nothing, really. A stress fracture in the foot and a stress fracture in the back are among the most worrisome injuries for an NBA player. Contrary to regular bone fractures that occur with a single impact, stress fractures are caused by repeated stress and the body not being able to repair itself quickly enough. To me that is a sign that the athlete's body might not be able to handle the sport.

Pelton: When Embiid returns to the court, he's not out of the woods health-wise given the frequency with which navicular fractures tend to recur. In basketball terms, it's tough to say. Players who have overcome navicular injuries, such as Zydrunas Ilgauskas, have tended to retain their skills, but Embiid has missed a lot of key development time. That could set him back.

Haberstroh: A heavy dose of uncertainty. He has flown across the world multiple times to receive top-notch treatment and training in Qatar. That tells me he's all-in. As to how his body responds to the rigors of the NBA, your guess is as good as mine. Playing 40 games at 20 minutes per game would be a huge success. Keep expectations low.

3. Should the Sixers trade Nerlens Noel and/or Jahlil Okafor?

Haberstroh: Yes, if they get a good offer. However, I don't see the need to make the move before training camp. See how the team looks with playmakers and shooters. Then assess and evaluate the market. I'd move Okafor, who is playing in the wrong era for his skills, before Noel.

Pelton: If Embiid is healthy, it's hard to see how the Sixers find enough playing time for him, Noel and Okafor when Simmons should ideally be playing power forward and Noel and Okafor were wildly ineffective together last season. So yeah, I'd be looking to trade one of them -- probably Okafor because my perception of his trade value exceeds how I'd value him.

Doolittle: Eventually, yes. For the right backcourt guy, or even a playmaking wing -- a top-40 player -- you can move one right away. Jimmy Butler is the name that keeps springing to mind. I wouldn't trade both yet, though. They need to see Embiid stay healthy for a full season, and we don't know for sure how quickly Simmons and Dario Saric are going to make an impact.

Engelmann: Okafor's real plus-minus numbers were historically atrocious last season, ranking him last among 77 centers in that category. Noel was better, but still a negative in RPM.

I am generally of the opinion that every good prospect should be given three years in the NBA to prove himself -- they have had one year and two, respectively. That said, if someone were to offer a good deal, I'd pull the trigger. If recent rumors that Jeff Teague was hampered last season by a partially torn patellar tendon hold any water, trading Okafor for him seems like a good idea because of the possibility of a bounce-back season.

Elhassan: Given the choice, I'd probably move Okafor, whose game is a lot harder to build around given his aversion to defense and the lack of perimeter shooting he offers. But truth be told, neither of these guys is a keeper, and the Sixers should be actively entertaining trade offers for both of them.

  1. What should the Sixers' goals be for 2016-17?

Pelton: I think the biggest goal is to figure out which of the remaining young players on the roster are keepers because spots are going to become scarce as the team continues to add through free agency and the draft. Veterans can help that process by putting the young players in position to succeed. And showing progress will help make the Sixers more attractive to free agents. But I don't think the number of wins should be the primary focus.

Engelmann: I'd try to take baby steps and, as sad as it sounds, try to play respectable basketball for a change. No point in shooting for the stars as they have a terrible roster and the incoming rookies will not have a positive impact right away because of them being so inexperienced. Limiting off-court drama should be a goal -- they already get enough bad press for their play.

Elhassan: A clear move toward competitiveness. Whether that's 30 wins, maybe 40 wins, a playoff berth is irrelevant. They just need to establish that this is a viable place for competitive basketball.

Doolittle: First and foremost, it's to carve a regular role for Embiid without overdoing it and giving him plenty of court time with Simmons. Then you want a system to develop those two players. As for wins, I'd hope to move into the 30 to 35 category, all while remaining opportunistic on the trade market.

Haberstroh: Don't make rash goals. Don't worry about the playoffs. Don't worry about being the anti-Sam Hinkie. Make sure the players are healthy and developing for the long term. Going the Sacramento Kings route -- signing over-the-hill vets to big contracts to show initiative -- isn't wise.

5. How many 50-win seasons will Philadelphia have in the next five years?

Haberstroh: I'll put the over/under at 0.5. Five years is a long time, but this team hasn't won 50 games in the past three seasons combined. And it had one 50-win season since 1989-90 (when George H. W. Bush was still president). Let's be realistic here.

Doolittle: Two. Given the talent, flexibility and draft pick stock in hand, getting to 50 shouldn't be that hard. The Sixers should progress over the next couple of years to the point that a true high-level free agent becomes a possibility. Then they can contend. But Colangelo's recent track record in this regard is not great, and that worries me.

Elhassan: I'm going to go with one. There's a long road to relevance.

Engelmann: Zero. Fifty wins is quite a tall order. The 76ers haven't won 50 or more games since the 2000-01 season, when they had Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo. While I expect them to improve -- they can't play worse, really -- I think it'll take them longer than five years to win 50 games.

I also don't have the highest hopes in Colangelo, who once signed Andrea Bargnani to a huge deal (reportedly five years, $50 million). That kind of thing could happen again because the top-valued veterans won't be tripping over themselves to sign with the 76ers in the near future.

Pelton: I'd put the line at 1.5. By that point, if Ben Simmons develops as well as we hope, he should be the kind of star needed to win in the league, and the Sixers have lots of options for putting supporting talent around him. It's certainly possible Simmons could get there sooner, but also very possible neither he nor any other Sixers player gets there at all.

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