The Philadelphia 76ers are ramping up efforts to finally trade power forward Jahlil Okafor. Chris Haynes of ESPN reported on Friday that the Sixers are collaborating with Okafor’s representatives to find him a new home after falling out of Brett Brown’s rotation.
The former third-overall pick was a healthy scratch in four of the Sixers’ first five games this season, as Brown opted for Joel Embiid on the starting lineup and Amir Johnson as the team’s chief back-up center. Okafor’s only chance at playing came when Embiid was ruled out against the Toronto Raptors on Oct.
21. The Duke product logged 22 minutes in that game, chalking up 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in a losing effort to Toronto, 128-94.
Out of Rotation
Okafor never played a single second on the floor since then. Worse, the pending return of forward Richaun Holmes will make things tougher for Okafor to earn a significant playing time. The Sixers have yet to exercise the center’s fourth-year option ($6.3 million), making the situation worth monitoring leading up to Oct.31 deadline.
Haynes stressed that picking up Okafor’s fourth-year option will heavily depend on the progress of the trade talks, though he still expects the Sixers to exercise their team option.
Who are the suitors?
As for possible suitors, Haynes disclosed that there are no front-runners at the moment.
However, Hoops Rumors writer Austin Kent believes Okafor’s trade value could be higher now than it was the previous seasons. Okafor’s decision to arrive into training camp in much better physical condition and his professionalism amid trade talks “will serve him well in the eyes of other teams looking to add talents at a discount.”
The Chicago Bulls attempted to trade Nikola Mirotic for Okafor last February, but negotiations fell through because the Sixers wanted additional assets in return.
It’s going to be interesting now if the Bulls will revive trade talks for the Windy City native as they are currently facing an odd situation with Mirotic and Bobby Portis.
The San Antonio Spurs could also make a run at Okafor. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has the reputation of bringing the best out of his players, and Okafor could benefit a lot under his mentorship.
It’s worth mentioning that both Bulls and Spurs are non up-tempo teams, which perfectly fits Okafor’s playing style.
The Boston Celtics might also be a dark horse candidate for Okafor since they don’t have much depth on their frontline. Okafor’s contract also fits in with the $8.4 million DPE the Celtics received after Gordon Hayward suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
The Celtics and Sixers have struck major deals before, including the draft day trade that sent No.1 pick Markelle Fultz to Philly. However, an Okafor to Celtics trade scenario would only be possible if the Sixers decline their option on the player’s fourth-year since the DPE can only be used for a player on the final year of his contract.
Other teams that are being linked to Okafor are the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans, per CBS Sports writer Joe Wolfond.
