One of the ongoing sagas early on during this eventful 2017-18 campaign has been the situation surrounding Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons cemented as the team’s foundational pieces moving forward and a crowded frontcourt rotation that includes Dario Saric and Amir Johnson, the 21-year-old Okafor has become largely expendable.
One thing is for certain: Okafor’s future does not lie in Philly and a trade has been looming for weeks now. With Okafor completely out of the rotation and his voicing his obvious desire to leave the Sixers, Bryan Colangelo and the rest of Philadelphia’s front office are working diligently to find a trade partner.
Though Okafor would also welcome a contract buyout, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Philly is unwilling to give him up for nothing and are hoping to net a second-round pick in any potential deal:
So far, Colangelo has rejected discussions on a contract buyout that would allow Okafor to become a free agent. Colangelo is holding out the possibility that Okafor’s $5 million salary could be packaged as part of a bigger deal before the Feb. 9 trade deadline, even if he can’t find a singular move involving Okafor, league sources said.
Colangelo’s asking price has steadily dropped for Okafor, from two first-round picks to a first and a solid player to where it stands now, a second-round pick, league sources said.
It’s not unusual for the 76ers to want something in return for Jahlil Okafor, especially because he has shown plenty of promise in limited opportunities thus far during his young career. Drafted 3rd overall in 2015, Okafor put together a solid rookie campaign and proved that he can produce at this level.
Okafor himself isn’t happy about the way this situation has unfolded but there’s not much the Duke product can do besides simply wait and he knows this:
“I would like for them to just send me somewhere where I can get an opportunity,” Okafor told ESPN. “I’ve done everything they’ve asked of me and I would just like to get an opportunity to play with a trade or a buyout. I just hope something happens quickly.”
“This is my third year in the NBA, and I know it’s a business. I don’t know if it’s fair or not, but in talking to other people in the NBA, talking to retired players, one thing I’ve heard them say is that what’s going on with me isn’t right and they’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“I know it’s business, but in my eyes, I don’t know if it’s good business.”
There have been teams interested in Okafor but it remains to be seen whether his suitors are willing to fork over a draft pick for what will be a risky project. Whether it be within the coming weeks, or before the All-Star break, or even this next offseason, it’s safe to say Jahlil Okafor is ready to move on and begin a new chapter.
