Report: Sixers "Gauging Interest" In Jahlil Okafor

According to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier-Times, the Sixers are "gauging interest" in Jahlil Okafor's trade value around the league.

#NBA source: #Sixers 'gauging interest in Okafor' around the league.

— Tom Moore (@tmoore76ers) February 18, 2016

The report shouldn't come as a surprise. The Sixers have added four lottery front-court players since 2013, and something's going to have to give somewhere before the team makes the jump to contention it hopes is in store over the next few years. With the trade deadline less than 18 hours away, the team is likely doing its due diligence in testing the waters for what a potential return might look like for Okafor.

Joel Embiid's NBA future is very much in question and the roster is in a collective state of flux with new voices in the front office and potential extension talks with Nerlens Noel coming this summer. So, it's hard to imagine a deal being made in advance of tomorrow's deadline with so much unclear right now. In all likelihood, it's the team checking market temperature before real long-term questions are answered a few months down the road.

But this front office has surprised us before, and it'd be silly to say it's impossible. I think.