Jahlil Okafor‘s time is running out in Philadelphia. The former No. 3 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft has struggled to carve out a consistent role in the City of Brotherly Love, and on Tuesday, word came down that the Sixers would decline the fourth-year option on his contract and send Okafor into free agency next summer. It’s not really a surprise that it’s happening, but it is always weird to see a high draft pick’s time with the team that drafted them end like this.
While Okafor is currently slated to go through the rest of this season as a Sixer, it’s possible that the team trades him and lets him show what he can do when he isn’t buried behind Joel Embiid and Amir Johnson on a depth chart. Or, if you believe Marc Stein of the New York Times, this saga will end with Okafor demanding a buyout.
The Sixers’ decision to bypass Jahlil Okafor’s fourth-year option could lead Okafor to press for a contract buyout, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 31, 2017
Sources say Okafor may opt to push for a buyout agreement now that the former No. 3 overall pick will be an unrestricted free agent in July
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 31, 2017
Okafor’s scoring numbers have gone down every year since he came into the league, largely because his playing time has been slashed as Embiid has gotten healthy. However, he’s still a young big man who can score with his back to the basket, so you’d think some team would be interested in acquiring his services.
In fact, Okafor is convinced of this, and even thinks the Sixers have had trades that would allow them to ship him elsewhere on the table.
League sources say Okafor is convinced workable trades have been on the table for the 76ers, who’ve explored moving him since last season
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 31, 2017
It’s not clear whether Okafor thinks the Sixers aren’t acting in good faith and trying to move him, or if he thinks the Sixers are working to try and send him elsewhere and nothing has materialized yet. Either way, the Jahlil Okafor era in Philadelphia looks like it’s coming to an end, whether that happens in the coming weeks or at the end of this season.
