Jahlil Okafor Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Contact Sixers About Jahlil Okafor

February 3rd, 2017 at 8:50am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have reached out to the Sixers about a possible trade involving Jahlil Okafor, reports Vince Goodwill of Chicago.com.

Chicago is more interested in a deal than Philadelphia, sources tell Goodwill, and the Sixers may not be enamored with any of the Bulls’ young players. A third team could be needed to complete any trade, as the author states that Chicago hasn’t ruled out a complete rebuild and probably wants to hold on to its draft picks. The Bulls have their own pick this year, along with a top-10 protected choice from the Kings.

Goodwill adds that talks aren’t really heating up yet, but the Bulls definitely would like to acquire the second-year center. They need more low-post scoring with Robin Lopez and Cristiano Felicio currently manning the center spot.

Okafor has been in and out of Philadelphia’s rotation this season as he competes for playing time with Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. He has appeared in 34 games so far, averaging 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in about 23 minutes per night. Those numbers are way down from 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds a year ago.

Atlantic Notes: Okafor, Lowry, Lopez

January 17th, 2017 at 5:20pm CST by Austin Kent

Much has changed over the course of the first two and a half months of the season, writes John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Sixers are now faced with different circumstances than what they began the year with. Part-way through January, it appears as though Jahlil Okafor — and not Nerlens Noel — is the most likely to be traded.

Okafor, Smallwood writes, is an impressive big man and goes on to cite the 21-year-old’s All-Rookie team performance last year as one of the reasons why. Even in some recent performances, the center has shown that he’s a solid young player, perhaps capable of averaging 20 and 10 eventually. The emergence of Embiid as a reliable option at the five for the Sixers, has rendered Okafor’s services less necessary than they would be otherwise.

In order to take advantage of Okafor’s value, the Sixers should look to trade the big man in order to reconfigure the balance of their roster and Smallwood gives several examples of players that could theoretically come back to Philadelphia in a trade. Smallwood offers Jaylen Brown, Jordan Clarkson and Doug McDermott as three perimeters threats that could potentially be had in exchange for Okafor.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

It’s too early to think about free agency, Kyle Lowry tells ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, but for whatever it’s worth, the guard considers Toronto “home”. Currently under contract for $12MM with a player option for $12MM in 2017/18, Lowry could net a significant pay raise over the summer if he opts out. “When the time comes, then I will worry about [free agency],” says Lowry. “[The Raptors] will definitely will be an option.“
The Nets have a decision on Brook Lopez to make prior to the trade deadline, but an injury to Jeremy Lin has made things more complicated, writes Seth Berkman of the New York Times. The franchise would ideally like to see how Lopez and Lin fare together before making a significant change but the tandem has been limited to just a handful of games healthy at the same time.
Desperate for a positive development, the Knicks have considered playing Kristaps Porzingis at the five, writes Ian Begley of ESPN. “Sometimes it’s a chance you have to take, but we continue to look over that,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “We just need to mix it up maybe a little more.” Moving Porzingis to the center position would push Joakim Noah to the bench.
We discussed the meeting between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony earlier, but it’s worth adding here that Jackson specifically told the veteran forward he did not subscribe to the criticisms in the now infamous Charley Rosen article, says Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Bradley, Okafor, Noel

January 16th, 2017 at 4:59pm CST by Milo Taibi

Carmelo Anthony followed up today on recent remarks about his situation in New York, telling reporters, including Mike Vorkunov, that he hasn’t spoken to management and hopes to remain with the Knicks. It’s been a slog for Jeff Hornacek‘s squad, as a myriad of on-and-off the court issues have resulted in a 2-11 record since December 25. Following a matinee loss to the Hawks at MSG, the Knicks slipped to 11th-place in the Eastern Conference; a far cry from expectations entering the season.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks aren’t guaranteeing court time for veterans during their swoon, recently replacing Courtney Lee in the lineup with undrafted rookie Ron Baker. Lee, who signed a $50MM deal during the offseason, has shot just 17.6% on 3-pointers over his last five games. “You’re looking for little things. Who is going to do the little things on this team? Who is going to take charges? Who is going to make the extra pass?” Hornacek told Stefan Bondy of the Daily News. The first-year Knicks coach also requested his team take more charges.
The Celtics are being careful not to rush Avery Bradley in his return from an Achilles strain, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. As coach Brad Stevens pointed out, several Celtics have excelled in Bradley’s place, including Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart. Having participated in a full practice Sunday, Bradley is listed as questionable to participate in tonight’s game against Charlotte.
Jahlil Okafor‘s 26-point game against the Wizards functioned as a showcase, Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes. Filling in for the resting Joel Embiid, Okafor connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field with nine rebounds. The trade deadline is just over a month away, Pompey noted, and the time is now to recruit possible trade partners. The Sixers‘ logjam of centers has been a well-publicized issue this season.
Sixers center Nerlens Noel won’t participate in Monday’s game against the Bucks due to a sprained ankle, the team announced today (via Twitter). A left ankle sprain cut into Noel’s minutes in mid-December, limiting the former Kentucky Wildcat to 7.6 MPG over a five-game span. While Noel is sidelined, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor will split time at the five.

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Sullinger, Sixers

January 14th, 2017 at 9:54am CST by Austin Kent

It may have taken a while to work into a good routine with the Knicks but Joakim Noah is playing his best basketball of the season, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Over the course of the last 11 contests, the 31-year-old is averaging 8.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Helping to light a fire under Noah, it seems, have been match ups with his former team. The Knicks center has posted averages of 14.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per in two games against the Bulls, most recently on Thursday night.

Though Noah continues to nurse a sore shoulder, his ability to contribute will play a factor in whether the Knicks decide to be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

That’s not it out of the Atlantic Division:

It was easy for Raptors fans to get excited about the news that Jared Sullinger has been cleared to practice, but general manager Masai Ujiri has reiterated that he has plenty of work to do yet. Sullinger will have a tough time working back into game shape this time of year, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN, and could even spend some time in the D-League working on his conditioning.
After a bumpy return to the lineup, 22-year-old Nerlens Noel is “definitely satisfied” with his role in Brett Brown‘s Sixers‘ rotation, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course Noel’s minutes didn’t come from thin air, earlier this week we wrote about Jahlil Okafor‘s demotion and the DNP-CDs that have come with it. Worth noting, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that Philly has managed to hit its stride defensively. “If this program is going to go anywhere close to where we want it, it’s going to have to start with the defense,” Brown told Cooney. “There is no way around that.“
The Celtics made it their mission to get Al Horford a win in his first game against the Hawks team with which he played nine seasons, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN. While the C’s would ultimately accomplish their goal thanks to an Isaiah Thomas buzzer beater, the veteran Horford was surprised to hear so many boos in his return to Philips Arena.

Jahlil Okafor On Sixers, Playing Time

January 10th, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Jahlil Okafor has seen just 10 minutes of action over the last four games, a stretch in which he received three DNPs. The big man said he is working hard to improve, adding that he knows he can’t control the situation, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays.

“It’s not ideal to put anybody in [this situation],” Okafor said. “Obviously, it’s a funky situation. Funky for all of us. Right now, I’m the person who’s sitting out.”

There remains no timetable for when Okafor will return to the line-up, though he may play on Saturday against the Wizards since its the second half of a back-to-back and Joel Embiid doesn’t yet play in those because of health concerns. The Duke product understands the Sixers’ frontcourt logjam and isn’t upset with coach Brett Brown for the reduced minutes.

“Obviously, it’s not what I want to be in a position,” Okafor said. “I know I’m not the type of player that’s DNP. 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.”

Sixers Notes: Simmons, Okafor, Noel, Embiid

January 7th, 2017 at 6:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injured rookie Ben Simmons has started traveling with the Sixers and has intensified his workouts, according to Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Still recovering from the right foot fracture he suffered in September, Simmons ran sprints and shot jumpers before Friday’s game at Boston. “Because it’s starting to get into a new year and we’re seeing him without the boot and slowly integrated with the team, this is a part of it, including him on the road,” said coach Brett Brown. “At times, we have a physiotherapist and a better plan at home if we’re on really long road trips. It’s a sign that, you know, not too far away, we can see him and start integrating him more and more and more. This is the first small step to doing that.”

There’s more news out of Philadelphia:

Jahlil Okafor is the latest big man to fall out of the Sixers’ rotation, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Okafor never got off the bench Friday, even as Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel were in foul trouble. Pompey notes that Okafor doesn’t fit the team’s new emphasis on defense, but adds that the Sixers can’t decide how to manage their three young big men. “There’s a body of work now that is enough to make some assumptions, some decisions in a more reasonable way,” Brown said after Friday’s game. “It’s not like we all just met each other. We’ve been doing this for a while. The great challenge is sometimes pairings aren’t as successful as you wish they were.”
The most painful part of the Sixers’ rebuilding project appears to be over, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Philadelphia is a virtual lock to miss the playoffs again, but Washburn says the development of Embiid is one of many reasons for hope. The franchise will have room to offer two max contracts this summer and may get the Lakers’ first-round pick in addition to its own.
Embiid is part of a young crop of versatile, mobile centers who are changing the way the game is being played, states Michael Lee of The Vertical. Embiid is also campaigning to have the center position returned to the All-Star ballot. They were mixed in with frontcourt players in 2013. “I feel like they should put the centers back. We’ve got a lot of talent,” Embiid said. “There’s a lot of talented centers in the league. That’s on [the NBA] to do that. But my job here is to keep playing basketball and be the best I can be and push them to make that decision to put the center back on the All-Star ballot.”

Sixers Notes: Okafor, Embiid, Ilyasova

January 1st, 2017 at 2:10pm CST by Will Joseph

The Sixers are stuck in an unenviable situation of having two big men thought to be future standout performers playing the same position who struggle while on the court together. Indeed, the roster problem that having centers Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor presents is nothing new for the Sixers, but it is now evident that the experiment is taking its toil on the franchise, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. It is obvious that the team struggles when the two players share the court, but the Sixers have had trouble trading Okafor and Noel for what it perceives as equal value, Pompey adds. What’s more, the value of Okafor and Embiid will continue to dip if they are not on the court, thus making the situation quirkier and more problematic, Pompey notes. The Sixers are 1-5 in games they have both started and for specific reasons why the duo has not meshed, it is worth giving Pompey’s piece a read.

Here is more out of Philadelphia:

In a lineup that does seem to work, Embiid and power forward Ersan Ilyasova played well off of each other, Pompey writes in the same piece, and it will be interesting to see if Ilyasova’s role is increased. Ilyasova was acquired in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 1st.
Robert Covington has struggled with his shot this season, but erupted during the second half of Friday’s game after receiving a boost of confidence from Sixers coach Brett Brown, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com relays. Covington will make slightly over $1.0MM this season and the team holds an option worth roughly $1.1MM for the 2017/18 campaign.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Okafor, Noel, McConnell

December 30th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers may be ready to abandon their experiment of pairing Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor in the starting lineup, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The move has come under heavy criticism as Philadelphia is just 1-5 with both big men starting. Pompey notes that the pairing forces Embiid to play out of position at power forward, where he has looked uncomfortable on offense and often gets pulled away from the basket on defense. Embiid sat out Thursday’s game at Utah because it was the first of a back-to-back, and coach Brett Brown wouldn’t commit to starting him and Okafor tonight in Denver. “We’ll figure that out,” Brown said. “I feel like when you study the numbers, look at gut feel, it has not been, at the moment, successful.”

There’s more this morning out of Philadelphia:

Backup big man Nerlens Noel played 22 minutes Thursday, the most court time he has seen this season, according to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. Since returning from a knee injury, Noel has been unhappy with his lack of minutes and has been a frequent critic of the team’s abundance of big men. While he is considered a likely candidate to be traded before the February 23rd deadline, Noel is trying to help the team however he can while still in Philadelphia. “I’m just thankful,” Noel said. “Coach gave me an opportunity and I wanted to go out there and play my game. That’s what my focus was the whole night. Whenever I was in there, I wanted to contribute to the team’s winning efforts. When I wasn’t, I wanted to support my teammates to the best of my ability.”
Injuries have left T.J. McConnell as the only healthy point guard for tonight’s game, Pompey writes in a separate story. A sprained left ankle suffered by Sergio Rodriguez means McConnell will be in the starting lineup tonight, with shooting guard Nik Stauskas as his backup. What looked to be a position of strength in training camp has been decimated by Ben Simmons‘ broken foot and Jerryd Bayless‘ season-ending wrist surgery.
Thursday’s Sixers-Jazz game was a reminder of the impact of international basketball, Pompey states in another story. The teams have a combined 14 players on their rosters from outside the United States. “Basketball is all over the world,” said Turkish native Ersan Ilyasova. “Obviously in Europe, it’s still more like a soccer thing. But still, a lot of kids play and follow basketball, especially the NBA.”

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Lin, Sixers, Anthony

December 29th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have two very difficult decisions looming in their pursuit of the top spot in the Eastern Conference, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post opines. They must decide whether to go all-in this season in their quest to knock off the Cavs, which would mean trading off some young pieces for another impact player, preferable a power forward, Bontemps continues. The Magic’s Serge Ibaka and Hawks’ Paul Millsap — forwards that the Raptors have pursued in the past and will become free agents this summer — would be logical targets, in Bontemps’ view. This summer, they’ll have to decide whether to offer point guard and impending free agent Kyle Lowry a max five-year deal worth over $200MM or risk seeing him walk. Lowry will attract numerous suitors but his age — he turns 31 this spring — could make a long-term commitment a risky investment, Bontemps adds.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are taking a committee approach with point guard Jeremy Lin sidelined again by a hamstring injury, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Coach Kenny Atkinson is rotating Randy Foye, rookie Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie in Lin’s absence, while shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick is also taking a bigger role in the playmaking duties, Lewis continues. “I think it was ensemble,” Atkinson told Lewis and other media members. “That’s how we’re going to do it.”
The Sixers’ frontcourt pairing of Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor has been a colossal failure defensively thus far, as Derek Bodner of Phillymag.com details. In six games since coach Brett Brown paired the two big men in the starting lineup, the Sixers have given up an average of 122.3 points per 100 possessions when they’re on the court. What’s more troubling, as Bodner notes, is that the poor defensive performances have come against sub-par offensive teams.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t believe Carmelo Anthony should have been ejected on Tuesday for swinging his forearm at the head of Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Hornacek asserted that Sefolosha grabbed Anthony around the neck before the forearm swing, though Berman notes that was not apparent on replays while labeling Hornacek’s stance as bizarre. “I don’t blame [Anthony] for what happened, honestly,” Hornacek told Berman. “Watch the replay, watch the action. The guy had his arms wrapped around his neck. … What are you going to do? Just stand there or you going to get the guy off you? It’s a natural reaction.”

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Porzingis, Powell, Sixers

December 22nd, 2016 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics will include one of their main backcourt pieces if they make a major trade, Chris Mannix of The Vertical anticipates. Boston will have trouble affording the quartet of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier in the long run and can’t add an impact player without shedding one or more of them, Mannix continues. Smart is eligible for an extension next summer and will command a starting salary of at least $10MM, while Thomas and Bradley can become free agents in the summer of 2018. It will take a good chunk of the salary cap to retain both, in Mannix’s view. The starting backcourt can also have their contracts renegotiated this summer but Mannix is skeptical that GM Danny Ainge would eat into future cap space to make that happen.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis and other players with rookie contracts will get a significant boost in pay once the new CBA is ratified, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Porzingis will receive a 15% increase next season and a 30% bump in the final year of his four-year rookie-scale deal, Berman continues. Sources informed Berman that Porzingis’ revised salary will increase from $4.5MM to $5.1MM next season and from $5.6MM to $7.3MM in 2018/19.
The Raptors need another elite player to become true title contenders but they should try to hold onto shooting guard Norm Powell, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun opines. Powell has the ability to play three positions and could play some minutes at point guard if Toronto includes current backup Cory Joseph in a blockbuster deal, Wolstat continues. In any case, coach Dwane Casey should try to give Powell, 23, more consistent minutes, Wolstat adds.
Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor will continue to start together in the Sixers’ frontcourt during their upcoming West Coast swing, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com reports. According to Seltzer’s research, that duo has 52 shared minutes over the Sixers’ last four contests, producing an offensive rating of 95.0 points per 100 possessions, and a defensive rating of 113.3 points per 100 possessions.