Miami Heat Inquired About Availability of Jahlil Okafor

One of the main storylines revolving the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline is whether or not the team will opt to move Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor. The chances of either being traded seems minimal, but there is a good chance that those two will be the subject of some phone conversations over the next 24 hours.

As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote today, the Miami Heat have expressed interest in the rookie big man from Duke earlier this year.

An official who has spoken to the Heat said two players of interest to Miami earlier this season were Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins and Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor, but neither obviously went anywhere.

These seem like exploratory talks at best, especially if DeMarcus Cousins is getting thrown into the fray, but they're worth noting around this time of the year. I imagine Philadelphia would be hesitant to give up Okafor at this juncture unless they were blown away by an offer, but Miami doesn't have much to give up anyway.

The Sixers own their first-round pick in 2016, and Phoenix owns their 2018 first-round pick. Outside of Justise Winslow and maybe Tyler Johnson to a lesser degree, the Heat's roster doesn't have too many pieces that would entice the Sixers front office.

Hassan Whiteside has some value in general, but certainly not to Philadelphia, who is already dealing with a front court logjam. Not to mention, Whiteside is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and his desire for a big contract is the reason Miami is looking for other big men in the first place.

It's very clear to see why the talks between Philadelphia and Miami went nowhere, but we'll see if another team with quality assets entices Sam Hinkie and Jerry Colangelo enough to consider parting with Okafor.