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03/28/2024 11:29:11 am

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NBA Trade Rumors: Sixers Eye Tyus Jones-Jahlil Okafor Reunion in Philly?

Jahlil Okafor (L) and Tyus Jones during their college stint at Duke

(Photo : Getty Images) Jahlil Okafor (L) and Tyus Jones could soon be re-united with the Philadelphia 76ers.

There are NBA trade rumors claiming that the Philadelphia 76ers is eyeing a Tyus Jones-Jahlil Okafor reunion and the team is set to negotiate with the Minnesota Timberwolves for a trade involving the former Duke Blue Devils standout.

Jones and Okafor were teammates in Duke's 2015 NCAA champion squad before they were selected 24th and third overall in last summer's NBA Draft.

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They spent their rookie years with different teams, the Wolves and Sixers, respectively, and now there is a chance that the two players could be together again.

Bleacher Report indicated that Jones, 20, has a high trade value at the moment and is one of the best young point guards in the league.

Even at his young age, Jones, who was named the 2015 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player during Duke's championship win, is considered as a player with "high basketball IQ and passing ability" who is still developing. Jones' upside is so high that a lot of teams are rumored to be interested in him at the moment.

While Jones is a potential point guard of the future for any team, he is an ill-fit in Minnesota's current situation as the Wolves already has rookie Kris Dunn as well as Ricky Rubio, who is still young enough at 26 despite being in the league for five years already.

Zach LaVine, who is part of the Wolves' young core trio with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, is also being utilized as a point guard from time to time, which further drops Jones' potential minutes.

With Dunn and Rubio above him in head coach Tom Thibodeau's point guard pecking order, Jones' development is hindered and his full potential may not be reached.

The recent acquisition of veteran point guard John Lucas III raised some eyebrows and instigated rumors that Jones could be traded sooner than expected.

Fansided reported that the Sixers want to acquire Jones so that he can reunite with former college teammate Okafor in their side.

Philly reportedly believes that the two players already have great chemistry between them and the team could use it moving forward.

It is still unclear who the Sixers would likely send to Minnesota in exchange for Jones, but there are NBA trade rumors that said Nerlens Noel could be part of the package to clear their current frontcourt logjam.

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