If Sixers Trade Jahlil Okafor to Pelicans, Jrue Holiday Reunion Unlikely

Hoping the Sixers and Jrue Holiday reunite this offseason?

Well, it probably means not trading Jahlil Okafor to the New Orleans Pelicans, one of the rumored destinations.

Essentially, the two moves are mutually exclusive.

Here's why:

The cap
The Pelicans are currently $6 million over the salary cap. Next year, they're an estimated $10 million over the cap, according to Spotrac.

Because they're over the cap, the Pels won't be able to go out and sign an impactful free-agent point guard if they trade Holiday or let him walk in free agency this offseason. But, because they currently own Holiday's rights, they can go over the cap to extend him.

Plus, the other options aren't too appealing. Excluding Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry - all near-locks to re-sign with their current teams - the next best free-agent point guards this offseason are Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo. That's a huge drop-off from Holiday.

Could New Orleans trade for Okafor and also get itself far enough under the cap to let Holiday walk and then sign a free-agent PG? Theoretically, perhaps. But it would require the Pels to dump multiple salaries - two of Omer Asik, Alexis Ajinca and E'Twaun Moore.

If the Pels traded Asik, Moore and a future first-round pick to the Sixers for Okafor, they'd be shedding about $13 million off next year's cap. But all that does is get them $3 million under the cap, and $3 million in today's NBA doesn't buy much. Plus, the Sixers would need to get some sort of sweetener to take on those two deals, especially Asik's. It would make no sense for the Sixers to take on two hefty salaries for Okafor unless they're getting a really valuable first-round pick with few protections.

Buyers, not sellers
If the Pelicans trade draft pick(s) for Okafor, they'd be doing it to win sooner with Anthony Davis. You don't mortgage future assets (draft picks) and accept remaining a lottery team - it just doesn't make sense. Holiday is the Pelicans' second-best player, so would it make any sense for them to trade one or more draft picks for Okafor and then not do everything it takes to retain their second-best player?

The possibility exists the Pelicans could let Holiday walk and draft a point guard high this summer. If the season ended today, they'd have the sixth pick. But if they have the ability to re-sign Holiday, why wouldn't they do it and then fill another need with this year's high pick?

Now what?
Because of these reasons, it just seems extremely unlikely that the Sixers could still land Holiday if they trade Okafor to the Pelicans. So if you're hoping for that reunion, both things probably can't happen.

The Sixers do not need Holiday; there are other point guards and two-guards who will become available in trades or free agency over the next couple years who could fit with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. But Holiday remains an intriguing fit here because of his ability to create, distribute and knock down threes. He's shot a career-best 39 percent from distance this season and has been below 36.5 percent only once in his eight-year career. And he's still just 26 years old.