New Orleans Pelicans: 5 roster moves to make this offseason

5. Re-sign Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor was a rookie sensation when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. Well, that is what his numbers said anyway. He averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Unfortunately for Okafor, he has never been able to reach those heights again.

The problem was that when the ball went into Okafor, it was either score or miss. He only averaged 1.2 assists in 30.0 minutes per game. He has averaged this number of assists three times in his career now and this is where he has shown his most growth.

One of these times was last season. The difference is that Okafor averaged this number in just 15.6 minutes per game. In fact, last season Okafor showed just how valuable a bench piece he is. He appears to play to what the team needed last year, not what he needed.

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Okafor only played 30 games, starting nine of them. It was not an injury that kept him out but the coach’s decisions. As we know, the Pelicans moved on from coach Alvin Gentry, but this does not change the fact that Okafor played the role he was asked to.

The evidence of this is not just in his assist numbers, He averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds, shooting the ball at 62.3 percent from the floor. This is the first time he was able to shoot above 60 percent in any of his five seasons.

Okafor appears to have grown up on the court. It is no longer about his offense or stats but about the team. The Pelicans have a roster that is going to make some noise and Okafor needs to be a part of that. He is a tremendous option as a backup or if another big gets injured.

He is also playing for a minimum salary this season. With the money the Pelicans are going to spend this offseason, they need a solid bench piece at the minimum. Okafor may try and see his value on the open market, but with his style of play, there isn’t a huge call for his services.