Philadelphia 76ers: 4 potential landing spots for Jahlil Okafor trade
By Simon Smith
With his immediate playing future up in the air, here are the top potential landing spots for the Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor.
Even though they won’t publicly admit it, the marriage between Jahlil Okafor and the Philadelphia 76ers has run its race.
First of all, Okafor suffered the dreaded Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision during a February home win against the Miami Heat. Following the game, head coach Brett Brown addressed the issue:
"“There were trade rumors that were happening before the game. I was aware of those. In those situations, I felt that it was best to not complicate things and not play Jahlil. We talked about it together before the game and I explained to him that this was going to happen for this reason. That’s why I made the decision.”"
These rumors did not materialize of course, and Okafor completed the remainder of the season with the Sixers. But unfortunately for Okafor and the team, his season was cut short due to a persistent knee issue. Overall, Okafor played in 53 games, following up from just 50 in his rookie campaign.
Following this season, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo, further addressed the questions surrounding Okafor’s future in Philadelphia:
"“If a deal comes along that makes sense for both of us, then we’ll go ahead and make the deal. But we’re not in a race to make any decisions. We’re taking a very measured toward path success and building an organization.”"
The emergence of a potential megastar in Joel Embiid has been the central cause of Okafor’s demise in Philadelphia. Okafor went from averaging 17.5 points in 30.0 minutes per game in his rookie season to posting 11.8 points in just 22.7 minutes per game this season.
A real throwback player, the 6-foot-11 Okafor has also become marginalized due to his deficiencies on the defensive end. Combined with his inability to stretch the floor on the offensive end, Okafor presents somewhat of a quandary to prospective teams.
But as a former No. 3 overall pick, and still just 21, Okafor still has plenty to offer given the right situation. Here is a list of the most likely landing spots for a potential Okafor trade.