Jahlil Okafor is still in limbo in Philadelphia, and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that Okafor’s camp continues to push the Sixers for a buyout, while president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo remains focused on finding a trade involving the former third overall pick.
According to Wojnarowski, Colangelo’s asking price for Okafor has “steadily dropped.” The Sixers had initially been seeking a pair of first-round picks when the young center first went on the block, but would likely settle for a second-round pick and an expiring deal at this point. As Wojnarowski details, Colangelo also hasn’t given up on the possibility of Okafor’s contract being rolled into a larger deal, so Philadelphia may be inclined to hang onto him until the February 8 trade deadline.
For his part, Okafor has been patient as the Sixers try to find him a more suitable NBA home, but he admitted to Wojnarowski that he hopes the team will make a move sooner rather than later.
“I would like for them to just send me somewhere where I can get an opportunity,” Okafor said. “I’ve done everything they’ve asked of me and I would just like to get an opportunity to play with a trade or a buyout. I just hope something happens quickly.
“This is my third year in the NBA, and I know it’s a business,” Okafor continued. “I don’t know if it’s fair or not, but in talking to other people in the NBA, talking to retired players, one thing I’ve heard them say is that what’s going on with me isn’t right and they’ve never seen anything like this before. … I know it’s business, but in my eyes, I don’t know if it’s good business.”
Per Wojnarowski, more than half of the NBA’s 30 teams indicated to ESPN that they’d have interest in rolling the dice on Okafor as a long-term project. None of those clubs seem inclined to give up a draft asset to do so though, preferring to wait until he becomes a free agent. That’s currently set to happen in the summer of 2018, since the Sixers declined Okafor’s fourth-year option. However, the soon-to-be 22-year-old and agent Bill Duffy would like to see it happen sooner.
“I’m hopeful that Bryan will do what has always brought him and the players in his organization success and be flexible as Jahlil has handled himself the right way,” Duffy said. “There’s been a focus on trading Jah for the past nine months, but nothing has come to fruition. At this point, it’s time to exercise that flexibility because I don’t think anything in the marketplace is going to change. His contract is still going to expire in June, and teams are still going to hold onto their assets.
“We are simply requesting the organization be willing to proceed reasonably and allow Jah to get on with his career,” Duffy added. “The Sixers are positioned well for the present and the future, and we only want the same for Jahlil.”
yeah, it couldn’t be because you’re a bust right? send him to the g league.
SMH!
You can’t be considered a bust if you can’t get the chance to play. The 76ers need to let him go somewhere that he can play.
He had a chance to play before Embiid and Holmes ever hit the floor. He didn’t play defense.
Why haven’t they done that yet. Is there some rule that they can’t. You would think that they would want him playing to at least try and build up some trade value.
I don’t care how many games the Sixers win, the Sixers are not in my good graces!!!!
If they trade Okafor, in other words ‘Free’ Jah, I might reconsider my position
Colangelo, Brown, and Josh Harris are total clown shows!!!
SMH
The big dummy shot himself in the foot when he declined the option. He should have traded him before they declined the option and benched him. It’s time to either buy him out or rebuild his value. It seems too late for the latter already though. I’d say it’s starting to shine a negative light for future personnel moves, and it would be in their best interest to let the young man move on. Addition by subtraction as it’s on a distraction.
It might hurt his trade value by declining the option, but it would be just as bad locking into a guaranteed $5-6m contract for a guy not even in your top 10 rotation players.
He didn’t just get put onto the trade block, he’s been there since Colangelo took over. It’s not like picking up that option was gonna make the phones start ringing off the hook suddenly.
Thanks for letting us all know. We were waiting on the edge of our seats to hear your thoughts
I agree, the 6ers should trade him asap.
But if everyone is waiting around for him to be bought out, they can wait to sign him as a free agent.
Anthony Bennett sees the floor more than Jah. I’ve been on the fire Coleangelo bus since he was hired by daddy.
The Sixers could not have bungled this situation any more. I guess this is the part of the process that they don’t want you to pay attention to. Kind of like how they make hot dogs.
6ers look like a top 5 team in the league and they’re still one of the youngest. Every team misdrafts players it’s part of the game. Trade him to a team for a solid bet role player and a pick and call it a day
Lousy Fn Phila management.They’ll never go anywhere with this management,head coach included
Could not agree more
I would take the recently fired Fizdale over Brown any day of the week
They seriously, legitimately thought they could get TWO first rounders for Okafor!?!? lol…I can only imagine the amount of immediate hangups and hysterical laughs they received before finally realizing how ridiculous they were being..haha
Even just asking for two first rounders shows the idiocy of Colangelo, and it shows how out of touch he is with reality….To even expect one first rounder is extremely unrealistic, much less TWO..I just can’t help but lmao…
They should just call around, ask for everyone’s best offer, counter if possible, and take the best offer they ultimately can get for Okafor…Either way, this needs to end sooner rather than later..It’s becoming worse and worse for Phili’s image!!
What Embiid and Simmons are doing is just AWESOME to watch, and nothing should be taking away from that…It’s that simple….#Free_Okafor
Okafor should lose weight, get in shape, guard somebody, play D, and become a big that someone wants! He doesn’t play hard. People get paid/rewarded for performance….not a promise to do better. He is not an upgrade to all the other teams…that is why they won’t give up picks for him. Sign him for nothing at the end of the year….no brainer.