Jahlil Okafor May Be On His Way to New Orleans

[hwangjini_1]

My sources are telling me that Okafor is going to Chicago. You heard it here first.

CROTOR?

[celticsclay]

My sources are telling me that Okafor is going to Chicago. You heard it here first.

CROTOR?

For valentine or grant?

[max215]

Considering that the Celts aren't right in the middle of this discussion I have to assume there is something sorta personal or maybe it's an in-conference issue.

Or there's something pretty interesting that we don't know

I think most of us do know: he's bad.

[Roy H.]

My sources are telling me that Okafor is going to Chicago. You heard it here first.

CROTOR?

I'd say more like an educated guess.

Okafor was told that there were discussions with Denver, Portland, Chicago and New Orleans.

Denver and Portland just completed a big man trade. That leaves Chicago and New Orleans. Since there's been a lot of media talk about New Orleans without a deal being finalized, Chicago seems like a logical landing spot.

Dennis Chambers: Jahlil Okafor changed his Twitter location to Chicago. He’s a native of the Chi, but Bulls are reportedly leading team to land the C #sixers – via Twitter

[Ogaju]

Considering that the Celts aren't right in the middle of this discussion I have to assume there is something sorta personal or maybe it's an in-conference issue.

Or there's something pretty interesting that we don't know

I think most of us do know: he's bad.

he did have that incident in Boston his rookie year.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

Okafor is still not considered a bust... only in his 2nd year

No way the 76ers take injury prone Alexis Ajinca and a protected 1st... seriously?

If I'm the 76ers I'm asking for Hield... 76ers can sweeten the pot by adding Luwawu with Okafor

Luwawu looks like a better pro than Hield.

TL can't even get consistent minutes on a team that is almost last in fg%. He has hardly anyone in front of him. Stauskas and Gerald Henderson.

Hield is doing fine.

Hield stinks, he'd be riding the pine with the Sixers too.

Writing a guard off after 50 games. Rough.

Not writing him off, but right now he's an objectively bad NBA player.

[Moranis]

My sources are telling me that Okafor is going to Chicago. You heard it here first.

CROTOR?

I'd say more like an educated guess.

Okafor was told that there were discussions with Denver, Portland, Chicago and New Orleans.

Denver and Portland just completed a big man trade. That leaves Chicago and New Orleans. Since there's been a lot of media talk about New Orleans without a deal being finalized, Chicago seems like a logical landing spot.

Dennis Chambers: Jahlil Okafor changed his Twitter location to Chicago. He’s a native of the Chi, but Bulls are reportedly leading team to land the C #sixers – via Twitter

Portland is supposedly still interested, which does seem odd, but they now have 3 firsts in the upcoming draft. 

Chicago appears to be the frontrunner, but I haven't found a single source with any information on what the trade might actually be, which is a bit odd.

Okafor did not travel to Charlotte for the Sixers game tomorrow so the Sixers must think a trade is very close.

[bogg]

Okafor is still not considered a bust... only in his 2nd year

No way the 76ers take injury prone Alexis Ajinca and a protected 1st... seriously?

If I'm the 76ers I'm asking for Hield... 76ers can sweeten the pot by adding Luwawu with Okafor

Luwawu looks like a better pro than Hield.

TL can't even get consistent minutes on a team that is almost last in fg%. He has hardly anyone in front of him. Stauskas and Gerald Henderson.

Hield is doing fine.

Hield stinks, he'd be riding the pine with the Sixers too.

Writing a guard off after 50 games. Rough.

Not writing him off, but right now he's an objectively bad NBA player.

Shooting 43% from three since a rocky first month in the league. He's got a role.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

Okafor is still not considered a bust... only in his 2nd year

No way the 76ers take injury prone Alexis Ajinca and a protected 1st... seriously?

If I'm the 76ers I'm asking for Hield... 76ers can sweeten the pot by adding Luwawu with Okafor

Luwawu looks like a better pro than Hield.

TL can't even get consistent minutes on a team that is almost last in fg%. He has hardly anyone in front of him. Stauskas and Gerald Henderson.

Hield is doing fine.

Hield stinks, he'd be riding the pine with the Sixers too.

Writing a guard off after 50 games. Rough.

Not writing him off, but right now he's an objectively bad NBA player.

Shooting 43% from three since a rocky first month in the league. He's got a role.

I mean that's not particularly unusual for bad players. Nick Stauskas has had similar stretches and he's a fringe NBA player. Hield's worthless at every but hit spot up 3s, and even then he's only been average so far. That's not what you're hoping for from a top 10 guy.

[celticsclay]

If okafor is not traded tonight this is super awkward

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

If okafor is not traded tonight this is super awkward

Yes. Yes it is.

But thank god the Sixers got a competent GM to improve relationships. This guy is a basketball person who knows how to deal with people!

 

[number_n9ne]

I really really hope we trade for Okafor. I know, I know, mostly everyone here hates him, but his value is so low at the moment. Such a good buy low big man for the future. If a future first and a vet big is all they want back from NO, we can definitely beat that without breaking the bank. He could come off our bench and take the slow development route like Smart and Brown. We currently have a stretch 5 to keep us up with the current trends, but we could potentially be "zagging" for the future when everyone else will be zigging (by adding a low post big.) And if Butler hits the market this summer, a trade package centered around Okafor is going to be way more appealing than one centered around Rozier.

I genuinely feel bad for the kid and his current situation in in Philly, I hope where ever he ends up he is able to turn things around.

[Ilikesports17]

I really really hope we trade for Okafor. I know, I know, mostly everyone here hates him, but his value is so low at the moment. Such a good buy low big man for the future. If a future first and a vet big is all they want back from NO, we can definitely beat that without breaking the bank. He could come off our bench and take the slow development route like Smart and Brown. We currently have a stretch 5 to keep us up with the current trends, but we could potentially be "zagging" for the future when everyone else will be zigging (by adding a low post big.) And if Butler hits the market this summer, a trade package centered around Okafor is going to be way more appealing than one centered around Rozier.

I genuinely feel bad for the kid and his current situation in in Philly, I hope where ever he ends up he is able to turn things around.

Ive felt that way for a while. I refuse to believe that all his talent just flew out the window.

That said, Im not giving up any real value for him. He cant help you this year.

[celticsclay]

If okafor is not traded tonight this is super awkward

Yes. Yes it is.

But thank god the Sixers got a competent GM to improve relationships. This guy is a basketball person who knows how to deal with people!

 

I do remember a few times where players were told they were traded and then had to go back to the team that traded them for various reasons. The most prolific incident of this was the vetoed Chris Paul deal that led o the the beginning of the downfall of Lamar Odom's career. More recently I believe montejunas was traded to the pistons but someone failed a physical.

However, I honestly can't remember a time a player was pulled right before tipoff (like Okafor 2 games ago) and then not taken on the team plane while a trade was negotiated. Some may say this was similar to Bogans, but having an irrelevant 33 year old backup that can't contribute if he is healthy stay away is a lot different than having a 20 year that can at least contribute with some fouls and potential offense off the bench stay away (who also has publicly been a good soldier).

It is possible there is a legit reason for this delay (e.g someone failed a physical initially and needs a second opinion, some weird salary cap impact etc), however it feels really really weird. What do we think is happening?

[Real World]

Rozier + a non-Nets 1st rd pick for Okafor.

Think that gets it done? I'd add some icing too if need be.