Having made an early impression in the preseason, here are three potential trade suitors for Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor.
It’s very easy to forget that Jahlil Okafor is not far removed from being touted as the potential No. 1 overall selection in his draft class. In an article penned in ESPN by Kevin Pelton and Chad Ford in January 2015 titled “Okafor is clear top pick,” Pelton noted:
"“It’s hard to say he’s done anything to dissuade that opinion. Okafor has been dominant offensively for a team that was undefeated against a challenging schedule until an unexpected two-game losing streak….As a result, I’d take him No. 1 overall at this point.”"
Ford also added to the hype surrounding Okafor:
"“He has incredible hands, excellent footwork in the paint and a soft touch. You just don’t find guys like that every day. Maybe once a decade….I think that Okafor is clearly more of a no-brainer than [Kyrie] Irving or [Anthony] Bennett were coming into the draft.”"
Fast forward the clock, and Okafor finds himself in an uncertain climate with the Philadelphia 76ers. Having been selected No. 3 overall in 2015, Okafor enjoyed a prosperous rookie season, averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. But the emergence last season of Joel Embiid, coupled with some physical ailments, means Okafor endured a miserable sophomore year.
But after undergoing an intensive overhaul of his physical conditioning this offseason, the Sixers have understandably been delighted with the early signs Okafor has shown in the preseason.
In his first performance, Okafor posted 13 points and six rebounds in just 19 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies. He followed this up with 11 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes against the Boston Celtics. While scoring has never been the issue, it’s been the manner in which Okafor has moved that has caught the eye of onlookers.
After losing approximately 20 pounds this offseason through a combination of intense training an a mostly vegan diet, Okafor has looked like a different player thus far. As he noted during the summer:
"“I feel lighter, I feel great. I’ve been taking my body seriously, my health seriously, what I eat very seriously. So I think it’s going to pay off.”"
You only need to take a look at some of his highlights against the Grizzlies get a grasp of Okafor’s capabilities:
https://twitter.com/sixers/status/915929238095704064
But as impressive as Okafor has been in the offseason, and the early stages of preseason, the imminent return of Embiid means his place in the rotation will again be completely up in the air.
As a result of this uncertainty, Okafor’s name has come up regularly when it comes to potential trading partners for the Sixers. So in order to get some value for the former Duke standout, here are three potential trade suitors for the Sixers to consider.