NBA: 15 players looking to shed injury-prone label in 2017-18

11. Jahlil Okafor

Like Payne and several other players on this list, it feels a bit hasty to call Jahlil Okafor “injury-prone” based on only two seasons in the league. But considering Okafor’s shaky standing with the Philadelphia 76ers and his surprisingly low trade value, it’s safe to say it’s important he stays healthy in 2017-18.

At this point, the only possible reasons the Sixers haven’t dumped him yet are because he’s still only 21 years old, because they need insurance for the worst-case scenario with Joel Embiid or because he hasn’t been on the court long enough to build any real trade value.

His numbers and playing time plummeted last year with the emergence of Embiid, but Okafor didn’t do himself any favors either, missing 32 games after missing 29 as a rookie. His first year was shut down by a meniscus tear, so it was discouraging to see him shut down for final month of his sophomore season due to knee soreness.

Whether it’s to prove he’s still a part of “The Process” or to increase his trade value to find a new NBA home, Okafor will be hoping to enjoy the first healthy season of his career in 2017-18, because as of right now, that $6.3 million team option for 2018-19 looks like more than he’s worth.