Jahlil Okafor Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jahlil Okafor Rejoins Sixers

February 15th, 2017 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With trade rumors swirling, the Sixers held Jahlil Okafor out of action on Saturday night, and didn’t bring him on their trip to Charlotte for Monday’s game. However, Okafor has rejoined the Sixers in Boston and will play in tonight’s game against the Celtics, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com writes. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Nerlens Noel will remain in the starting lineup, with Okafor coming off the bench.

When Okafor was initially kept out of action over the weekend, it appeared that the Sixers were moving toward finalizing a trade involving the former No. 3 overall pick. Indeed, a source tells Camerato that the team had been close to a deal involving Okafor. Now that the club is ready to re-insert him into the lineup, it seems no trade is imminent.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, people around the NBA are skeptical that the Sixers were ever all that close to moving Okafor. O’Connor’s sources speculate that Okafor’s absence was a failed attempt to “stir interest” and “flush out” teams’ best offers.

The Pelicans, Bulls, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers have been linked to Okafor in recent reports, but O’Connor suggests Denver and Portland don’t appear to be serious suitors, and he’s not sure Chicago is either. New Orleans seemed to be gaining momentum on a possible Okafor deal earlier this month, but that was nine days ago, and nothing has come of it yet.

The Sixers’ game tonight is the team’s last one before February 24, a day after the trade deadline, so it’s possible that it will be Okafor’s last contest with the franchise. We’ll have to wait to see if the offers for Okafor improve by next Thursday, or if Philadelphia eventually settles for an offer currently on the table.

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Okafor, Knicks, Simmons

February 12th, 2017 at 9:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry expressed a desire for unspecified changes after the club squandered a double-digit, fourth-quarter lead to the Pistons on Sunday night, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Lowry told Lewenberg that “Something gotta give, something gotta change” following the 102-101 home loss, adding that “I have an idea” what should change but wouldn’t disclose it publicly. Lowry, who can opt out and become a free agent this summer, added that “I’m starting to get worried” because “it’s not going the way we’re supposed to be going.” (Twitter links). Lowry’s comments reflect the feelings of backourt partner DeMar DeRozan, who said he would welcome some help for the stretch drive. The Raptors have been spinning their wheels lately, going 4-10 over the last 14 games while dropping to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Their two best players are now putting the onus on the front office to make a bold move before the trade deadline. Lewenberg also tweets that it’s the first time this season that he’s sensed the locker room beginning to splinter.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

Sixers forward Jahlil Okafor was not on the team plane during its flight to Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, an indication that a trade could be imminent, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. A source told Pompey that a potential trade could not be finalized until Monday, when the league’s legal staff can review paperwork. The Pelicans, Bulls and Trail Blazers are apparently the potential trade partners for Okafor. The Nuggets and Sixers reportedly halted talks after Denver reached a trade agreement with the Blazers to acquire big man Mason Plumlee.
The controversies swirling around the Knicks will make it more difficult for them to attract impact free agents, Al Iannazzone of Newsday argues. New York already struck out in its attempts to land top free agents in past summers and the circus-like atmosphere will only hinder its future efforts, especially since owner James Dolan seems committed to have team president Phil Jackson finish out his contract, Iannazzone continues. Rather than focusing on trying to trade Carmelo Anthony, Jackson should look to move pending free agents Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings, as well as expendable big man Kyle O’Quinn, before the trade deadline, Iannazzone adds.
Evaluating the pairing of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid remains a goal for the Sixers this season, Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. GM Bryan Colangelo indicated in a radio interview that it would aid the front office in deciding which moves to make this offseason, Tannenwald adds. “If it does play out where they both play together, and we have a good sample size, a body of work to base some further decisions on, it certainly will help us as we move into the draft and into free agency this summer,” Colangelo told 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nuggets Notes: Plumlee, Okafor, Draft Picks

February 12th, 2017 at 2:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier today, Denver agreed to trade for Mason Plumlee, who will be a restricted free agent after the season. The team will retain Plumlee’s rights in restricted free agency this summer and that was a major draw for the Nuggets, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post relays (Twitter links). The Nuggets will have the right to match any offer sheet Plumlee signs during the offseason, but Dempsey expects them to re-sign him without having to go that route.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Nuggets are no longer in talks with the Sixers for Jahlil Okafor, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Denver was one of four teams reportedly in talks with Philadelphia for the big man.
The Nuggets will receive a 2018 second-round pick from the Blazers as part of the Plumlee deal. Mark Porcaro (Twitter link) notes that the Blazers have already given the Kings the right to swap second-rounders with them in that draft, which means Denver is likely to receive the lesser of the two picks.
Dempsey (Twitter link) believes that Plumlee has the ability to play the power forward spot next to Nikola Jokic and he can envision the Nuggets using that combination. Plumlee has expanded his game this year, as I wrote in a recent edition of Fantasy Hoops.

Sixers Have Discussed Okafor Deal With Four Teams

February 12th, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:21pm: Trade talks between the Nuggets and Sixers regarding Okafor have stalled, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He notes that they could always start again, but for now the teams have ceased discussions about Okafor.

8:58am: Philadelphia has talked to the Bulls, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Nuggets about a possible trade involving Jahlil Okafor, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. He adds that discussions are ongoing with the trade deadline just 11 days away.

The second-year center was held out of Saturday’s game because of the possibility of a deal. Talks with Chicago and New Orleans have reportedly become more advanced in recent days, and Okafor believes a trade will be completed soon.

The Sixers are rumored to want at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. All four franchises involved in trade talks have all of their future first-rounders available, and the Bulls are owed the Kings’ pick this year if it falls out of the top 10.

Kennedy notes that the Lakers aren’t among the teams actively trying to obtain Okafor (Twitter link). L.A. recently benched starting center Timofey Mozgov and would seem to have a need for a young big man with Okafor’s skill level. However, the Lakers are limited with draft picks because they already owe this year’s first-rounder to Philadelphia if it falls outside the top three and they agreed to send their 2019 first-rounder to Orlando.

Sixers coach Brett Brown said he didn’t play Okafor on Saturday so it wouldn’t “complicate things” before a potential trade. The team obviously wants to avoid any threat of injury for Okafor, who played just 53 games last year and had season-ending knee surgery last March.

“As the All-Star break gets closer, possible deals have more of a chance,” Brown told Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. “Although speculation is rampant all throughout stuff, you learn that as the deadline gets closer, the reality that something could happen goes to a higher level. When we get to this stage of the calendar, it influences those types of decisions tonight.”

Philadelphia has two more games before the deadline — Monday at Charlotte and Wednesday at Boston — and Brown indicated Okafor may be held out of both.

Sixers Nearing Jahlil Okafor Trade?

February 11th, 2017 at 10:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

10:56 PM: Okafor has told teammates that he believes he will be traded soon, according to Jake Pavorsky of Liberty Ballers (Twitter link).

10:39 PM: No deal is imminent, according to Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet (Twitter link), though trade talks are now more advanced than they were with the Bulls and Pelicans.

9:49 PM: The Sixers took on the Heat tonight, but Jahlil Okafor did not suit up and David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link) reports that Philadelphia sat him because trade discussions are gaining momentum. After the game, coach Brett Brown confirmed the report. He told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links) that there were “trade rumors” surrounding Okafor and that’s why he didn’t play. The Sixers have two more games before the All-Star break and Okafor could sit out both of those contests if he’s still on the team, Pompey adds.

Philadelphia is reportedly looking for at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. Out of the team’s big men, he’s the most likely to be traded, as I wrote in his Trade Candidate piece earlier this week.

New Orleans and Philadelphia recently discussed an Okafor trade. The Pelicans have been active in their attempts to add a center, dangling multiple assets, including their 2018 first-rounder, in talks with other teams. The structure of a potential Okafor-to-New Orleans deal would reportedly have Alexis Ajinca heading to Philadelphia along with the 2018 first-round pick.

Okafor played well this week amongst the constant trade speculation. He averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game during the three contests in which he participated in. He shot 51.7% from the field and added three blocks over that stretch.

And-Ones: Lakers, Mozgov, Okafor, Wojnarowski

February 8th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak didn’t want Timofey Mozgov to be tempted by other offers and that contributed to the team handing him a four-year, $64MM deal, a source tells Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com. Shelbourne adds that Luol Deng, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal with Los Angeles this past offseason, had other offers for his services, but no team gave him more than a three-year deal. Both Mozgov and Deng were recently relegated to the bench.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Lakers would need to attach a young prospect, such as Ivica Zubac or Larry Nance Jr., to Deng or Mozgov if they want to move one of their free agent additions, Shelbourne writes in the same piece. She adds that the contracts of Deng and Mozgov are not problematic for Los Angeles right now, but they will be soon, as Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell will be eligible for extensions over the next couple offseasons.
Jahlil Okafor, who we profiled as a trade candidate, is making the most of his increased minutes, John Reid of The Time-Picayune writes. Okafor was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the week with the Pelicans being the latest team to show interest in him.
The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate, have acquired center Prince Ibeh and waived forward Lazar Hayward, according to a team press release.
Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical is close to joining ESPN, multiple sources tell Kevin Draper of Deadspin.

Sixers Notes: Valentine, Okafor, Brown

February 7th, 2017 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers should try to acquire Denzel Valentine from the Bulls if they are going to send Jahlil Okafor to Chicago, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The Bulls reached out to the Sixers regarding an Okafor trade last week.

The details of their talks have not been made clear, though it presumably involves at least one prospect heading to Philadelphia. Valentine or Doug McDermott are potential trade pieces and Brookover believes the former is the better option should the Sixers have to decide between the two. The scribe envisions Valentine developing into a playmaker whom can stretch the floor, while he views McDermott as a career bench player.

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why Okafor hasn’t improved all that much since coming to the Sixers. Murphy points out that Nerlens Noel and T.J. McConnell have improved considerably, while Okafor has plateaued.
Brett Brown is impressed with the way Okafor has handled hearing his name in trade rumors, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The coach said that Okafor should be proud of his work both on and off the court. “We remind him, ‘Go read your resumé,’ “ Brown said. ” ‘You go have a look at who you are.’ And he’s got a lot to be proud of on the court.”

Pelicans Seeking Center, Dangling 2018 Pick

February 7th, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans were at the center of an interesting trade rumor on Monday night, having been linked to the Sixers in a possible Jahlil Okafor deal. However, those Okafor discussions weren’t the only talks New Orleans has engaged in recently, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. According to Wojnarowski (all Twitter links), the Pelicans have been active on various fronts in their efforts to add a center, dangling multiple assets, including their 2018 first-round pick.

In addition to the Okafor discussions, New Orleans’ search for a center has resulted in a pursuit of Nets big man Brook Lopez, according to Wojnarowski, who reports that the Pelicans have been exploring larger deals in the hopes of unloading Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca. Asik and Ajinca, who will earn a combined $15.56MM next season, are under contract for multiple years and aren’t a part of the team’s rotation.

The Pelicans still own their 2017 first-round pick, but the team is reluctant to move that selection. This year’s draft class is expected to be one of the deepest and most talented in the last decade, and New Orleans is on track to have a lottery pick — our reverse standings show that the Pelicans are currently tied with the Kings for the NBA’s seventh-worst record.

While the Sixers are said to have some interest in a deal with the Pelicans, it’s not clear if a reported offer of Ajinca and New Orleans’ 2018 first-rounder will be enough for Philadelphia. Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that the protection on the 2018 pick is a sticking point for the Sixers, who may be looking for more value anyway. Meanwhile, various reports have suggested that Philadelphia would like to find a way to include Jrue Holiday in any deal.

As for the Nets and Lopez, multiple outlets have reported in recent weeks that Brooklyn wants to secure two first-round picks in any deal for its standout center. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote this morning that Brooklyn is seeking a 2017 lottery pick – plus an additional first-rounder – in any package for Lopez, so the Nets would presumably be interested if the Pelicans wanted to discuss this year’s pick.

I’d be surprised if New Orleans is willing to meet the Nets’ asking price, and it remains to be seen what sort of deal the Sixers would accept. Still, the Pelicans are actively scouring the trade market, and appear to be a good bet to make a deal in the coming weeks.

Kyler’s Latest: Cavs, Sixers, Lopez, Kings, Magic

February 7th, 2017 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have been “aggressively” exploring ways to clear the contract of Chris Andersen from their books, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Andersen, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, is on a minimum salary deal, but moving him would allow Cleveland to open up a roster spot and create additional savings on the team’s projected tax bill.

Although the Cavaliers have been mentioned in some intriguing trade rumors involving star players like Carmelo Anthony, Cleveland is more focused on bolstering its bench. According to Kyler, the Cavs are prioritizing adding a point guard and a big man for depth purposes.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the NBA, via Kyler’s report:

On Monday night, several reports indicated that the Sixers and Pelicans were discussing a possible swap of Jahlil Okafor for Alexis Ajinca and a 2018 first-round pick. However, a source tells Kyler that Philadelphia may not be on board with that specific framework, preferring to put Jrue Holiday in the deal rather than the future first-rounder. The two teams continue to talk, but both sides are exploring other options as well, writes Kyler.
We’ve heard in the past that the Nets are seeking two first-round picks in any Brook Lopez deal. Kyler says that the team is specifically seeking a lottery pick in 2017, plus an additional future first-rounder. It seems unlikely that any team will meet that asking price, but Brooklyn appears content to wait until at least the offseason to get serious about moving Lopez.
There’s a “growing sense” that the Kings might move Darren Collison, as well as Kosta Koufos, by the trade deadline, per Kyler.
Kyler identifies Nikola Vucevic, Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green, and C.J. Watson as Magic players that may be on the move this month, though he notes that Orlando’s asking prices remain high. Kyler’s sources suggest that Toronto would be a favorable long-term situation for Ibaka, but there’s no indication that the big man would be willing to sign with the Raptors long-term, or that the Raps would give up “meaningful assets” for Ibaka.

Trade Candidate: Jahlil Okafor

February 6th, 2017 at 10:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

As the February 23 trade deadline nears, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.

Jahlil Okafor, C
Philadelphia 76ers
2016/17 salary: $4,788,840
Team holds an option for the 2018/19 season; eligible for restricted free agency in 2020
Trade restrictions: None

Jahlil Okafor knows he’s in a unique situation. He’s heard his name in trade rumors since he was drafted by the Sixers with the No. 3 overall pick. He’s seen his role on the team fluctuate and he’s handled it all like a professional should.

“I know I’m not the type of player that’s DNP,” Okafor said earlier in the month about a game in which he was a healthy but didn’t see the court. “But that’s what it is right now. Coach Brown has been phenomenal with communicating with me. I know in the long run, I’ll be fine.”

In the long-run, Okafor will likely be playing for another team. GM Bryan Colangelo has reportedly been in contact with eight other franchises regarding an Okafor trade and the strong play of both Joel Embiid and Dario Saric have increased the likelihood that the team deals either Okafor or Nerlens Noel, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

It appears that Okafor is more likely to be dealt than Nerlens Noel, as John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote last month. Two months ago, the opposite was true. Noel wasn’t seeing regular minutes and Philadelphia was investing time in the Okafor-Embiid pairing. The team didn’t like what it saw and it stopped using the combo together. Okafor has seen his role diminished since the team split up the centers, while Embiid has thrived, which led one anonymous league executive to claim that the Cameroon native could eventually become a top-3 player in the league.

Okafor will likely never reach that pinnacle, though that doesn’t mean he can’t have a great career. Over his first season and a half, he’s shown promise on the offensive end, aggressively taking the ball to the basket either by backing defenders down or driving at them from the elbow. It’s been inconsistent, but that’s expected; he’s a 21-year-old kid who has only appeared in 88 career games. Teams looking for a young big man certainly see what’s there. He isn’t a blank canvas on the offensive end.

Okafor’s defense remains a work-in-progress. He’s the league’s second-worst center on defense, per ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus. Karl-Anthony Towns is the league’s worst, according to that metric, so we should remember that it takes time and experience in this league to become a good defender in the post. Rim protectors need to learn how to properly position themselves during the offensive attack. Once a player learns that, simply being a massive near 7-footer is enough to be an adequate defender; just ask Nikola Vucevic. Magic coach Frank Vogel vowed to install his defensive principles and coach up Vucevic so that he can improve on his defense. This year, the Swiss behemoth has been defending opposing bigs at a top level. He’s the 15th most impactful defender this season, according to NBAMath, and there’s hope that Okafor can take similar strides with the right amount of experience and coaching.

That’s not to say coach Brett Brown isn’t doing a great job with Okafor and with this team. The issue is that there are only so many coaching hours available and Brown has so many young guys on the roster. Gregg Popovich was always able to get the best out of non-star players because his top players were experienced and didn’t need as much attention. Popovich could devote the time to the role players and coach them up to help them improve. Brett Brown has no such luxury. Examine the Sixers’ roster; How many players are self-sufficient and don’t need a considerable amount of coaching?

Okafor will get to an acceptable level on defense, but he’s not going to substantially improve without seeing more court time. He’s barely cracked 800 minutes so far this season (232 players have seen more minutes than Okafor this year, including Anthony Tolliver and Corey Brewer among others). He’s firmly behind Embiid on the depth chart and both Noel and Richaun Holmes have seen action ahead of him at times when everyone is healthy.

Philadelphia is being cautious with Embiid’s knee injury, which opened up an opportunity for Okafor to start (and audition for other teams) tonight against the Pistons. The game could end up being one of Okafor’s final contests with the Sixers, as the team was reportedly heavily engaged in talks with the Pelicans to send the Duke product to New Orleans. Philadelphia was set to receive a 2018 first-rounder in addition to center Alexis Ajinca and there was a 5:00 pm EST deadline today to complete a deal, presumably because Philadelphia played tonight and needed to know whether or not to have Okafor suit up. The teams didn’t consummate a deal before that cutoff, but the two sides remain engaged in talks, as Keith Smith of RealGM reports (Twitter link).

Anthony Davis would be an excellent frontcourt partner for any player in the league, but his skillset particularly suits Okafor. At this point in his career, Okafor doesn’t have much range. He can’t play outside the paint and that, coupled with his defensive issues, makes pairing him in the frontcourt a tough task. He needs to be aligned with someone who has an outside shot and is able to help cover up his defensive imperfections. The potential Davis-Okafor pairing is arguably the best-case scenario for any franchise looking to build around the 2015 ACC Player of the Year.

The Pelicans are shopping their 2018 first-round pick around the league with an eye on acquiring a center, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link), so they could ostensibly make another deal and miss out on acquiring Okafor.

“Obviously at this time of the year all the GMs are talking,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said earlier tonight. “In that situation right there it’s best that you guys ask [GM Dell Demps]. I don’t want to get misquoted or anything. Like I said, all the GMs are talking back and forth.”

I speculate that a deal will get done with New Orleans and the franchise is just looking to gain leverage during trade talks. However, if Demps decides to trade the team’s pick elsewhere, the Bulls could get back in the mix for Okafor, as they reached out to the Sixers late last week regarding the big man.

Philadelphia is reportedly looking for at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. He’s under team control for at least two more seasons after this one, so Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily have to deal him before the deadline. Still, regardless of whether it happens this season, this offseason or a year from now, an Okafor trade remains likely. Sam Hinkie’s final first-round selection has the potential to be a solid NBA player and he could even develop into an All-Star-caliber player down the road; it’s just not going to happen while he’s a member of the Sixers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images