DECEMBER 1: Okafor’s agreement with the Pistons is now official, the team announced in a press release.
NOVEMBER 20: The Pistons added another big man to their stockpile of frontcourt players, as they’re signing Jahlil Okafor to a two-year contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Okafor will sign for the veteran’s minimum, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets.
Detroit has added a number of centers and power forwards in recent days. It drafted Isaiah Stewart in the middle of the first round on Wednesday and traded for Dewayne Dedmon. The Pistons also reached a three-year agreement with Nuggets free agent Mason Plumlee.
All this makes it more unlikely their top free agent, Christian Wood, will return. It’s still conceivable they could make a sign-and-trade deal with one of Wood’s pursuers.
Okafor has spent the last two seasons with the Pelicans. He contributed 8.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 APG in 15.6 MPG in 30 appearances last season. Like Plumlee, Okafor is not a 3-point threat. The third overall pick in the 2015 draft has averaged 11.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 220 career games.
It seems that small market is not interested in overpaying unproven young players
Knicks Wood
They have enough bigs
Tall ball on the way
What are the Pistons doing? Unless Dedmon is being flipped again, this makes no sense at allpicking up both Plumlee and Okafor.
Always liked Okafor. Thought he would be a solid NBA talent. With his low post gm and rebounding. Some players are just happy with an NBA contract, it seems. Considering drafting Stewart and signing bigs. Pistons are not going to keep Woods. So he’ll be available. I’d like to see Knicks sign. He’s the right age for our team. And with Mitch, and now Toppin. Gives us a good big man combo. Woods can play C or PF. I hope we sign him.