The Philadelphia 76ers have added another Okafor into their line-up, signing veteran center Emeka Okafor to a training camp deal. The Sixers announced the signing of Okafor and veteran forward Kris Humphries as they revealed their 20-man training camp roster Monday. Okafor, the second overall pick in the 2004 Draft by the then-Charlotte Bobcats and a former Rookie of the Year awardee, played 590 games in the NBA with Charlotte, New Orleans, and Washington Wizards.
In his nine-year career, Okafor has averaged 12.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.
He last played for the Wizards during the 2012-13 season, averaging 9.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. He then sat the last four seasons recovering from a herniated disk in his neck. Last season, the Golden State Warriors were rumored to be interested in his services but the team instead signed JaVale McGee.
Making the regular-season roster will be a longshot for Okafor as the 76ers have Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes and Jahlil Okafor as big men. The 76ers also recently added Humphries, who averaged 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 56 games last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
76ers won’t trade Jahlil Okafor
Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo clarified during Monday’s media session that he’s not actively shopping big man Jahlil Okafor.
Colangelo’s claim contradicted a report by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he said that the 76ers “will check the rest of the league” on what they can get for the big man. In a report by Evan Macy of Metro.us, Colangelo said Okafor is doing his best to return to regain that form that attracted the 76ers into taking him as the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
According to Colangelo, Okafor is crucial to the team’s success with starting center Joel Embiid’s health still in question. Embiid hasn’t been cleared to perform 5-on-5 drills after he suffered a season-ending injury last season. Embiid played just 31 games last season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks.
Ben Simmons 100-percent healthy
After missing all of the last season due to a broken foot, Ben Simmons declared himself 100 percent ready as he enters training camp, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic. The announcement came as no surprise since Simmons has already been cleared for basketball activities for more than a month now. The 76ers took Simmons as the No. 1 overall pick in 2016 but he suffered a broken foot, delaying his NBA career. The 76ers expect to use the 6-foot-10 Simmons as point guard despite taking playmaker Markelle Fultz No. 1 overall in the 2017 Draft.
