As the 2016-17 National Basketball Association (NBA) season approaches, center Jahlil Okafor is close to completing his recovery following a knee surgery but also seems to be off the trading block.

For a few months now, Okafor has been rumored to be shopped by the Philadelphia 76ers because they have a crowded group of front line players. But trading the 20-year-old might no longer be on the priority list of the franchise, as head coach Brett Brown sounded keen on having one of his young centers back.  

"What you saw on the floor [during pregame] is more than we've seen at practice in a while," Brown told The Philadelphia Inquirer recently. 

Brown continued, "People shouldn't get nervous about that. It's part of bringing him back into the mix. Our anticipation is he is not that far away."

It was reported that Brown believes Okafor will be ready for their season opener versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 26. Once the former Duke star returns, he is going to compete against Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid for minutes, or even the starting job, at the no. 5 position.

This is good news for Okafor, who in the off-season was displeased with all the trade rumors involving him. Brown's statements may have meant that he remains a valuable piece to the team. 

When the new seasons opens, Brown will enjoy the luxury of having three centers who are all capable of being starters in the league. At the same time, this is a difficult task since he needs to relegate the two to reserve roles which could lead to issues as the year continues.

To prevent this, Brown and his coaching staff must find ways to utilize Okafor, Noel, and Embiid properly. The absence of 2016 top pick Ben Simmons is already an aid to make things easier.