There is seemingly endless optimism in Philadelphia about the Sixers coming into the 2017-18 season. Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz will make their NBA debuts, and Joel Embiid (while still not quite back to 5-on-5 action) figures to join them early in the season if not by opening night. That young core, along with Dario Saric and veteran J.J. Redick, make for a formidable group that they hope can develop into one of the East’s best teams.
While it’s doubtful they get to the point of legitimate contention this year, the playoffs aren’t out of the question in a down year in the East (even by the East’s standards) and the future seems extremely bright. However, in the middle of that young core that seems to have so much promise is Jahlil Okafor, lost in the mix and the apparent odd man out.
Nerlens Noel was dealt to Dallas last year, which allowed Okafor to stay on with Philly, but the Sixers still are looking to find him a new home. Okafor, to his credit, has handled the entire situation better than most young players would and has said he’ll keep playing hard for Philly until an inevitable deal gets done.
As for when a trade could happen, according to Sixers coach Brett Brown, it could be any time as they plan on continuing to look around the league for a decent package in return for their former No. 2 overall pick.
Brown said Sixers will check with the rest of the league to see what's out there for Jahlil Okafor
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 20, 2017
The knocks on Okafor are legitimate. His is a significant liability on defense, which is extraordinarily frustrating considering how nimble he is on offense, and in today’s NBA having a plodding big man who can’t switch or move well on defense isn’t ideal. However, he is an excellent offensive talent and is solid on the glass. Okafor saw his minutes decrease, thus his production waned to 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2016-17, but at 22 years old he still has time to grow if given a chance.
There should be teams, especially those going into long rebuilds like, say, the Hawks, who could see how low the Sixers will go in accepting a deal for Okafor. With the NBA Draft Lottery being reformed and, ironically enough, the Sixers model of rebuilding likely dying with it, it might be a worthwhile venture to take a chance on Okafor, considering his trade value has cratered.
