NBA Draft rumors: Would Philadelphia 76ers select Jahlil Okafor?

Apr. 3, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Varsity basketball team member Jahlil Okafor poses at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago. Okafor, a 6 foot 10 inch junior who plays the center position, is poised to become one of the top basketball recruits for college teams in the country. Mandatory Credit: Guy Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /

The Milwaukee Bucks were the NBA’s worst team last season, posting a record of 15-67. The Philadelphia 76ers, who went 19-63, weren’t far behind and may have been the worst team in basketball at the end of the season. The Bucks selected former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker with the second overall pick while the 76ers took former Kansas Jayhawks’ center Joel Embiid with the third-overall pick and dealt for the rights to the 12th-overall pick, Croatian forward Dario Saric.

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Parker is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year while Embiid will likely miss the season with a foot injury and Saric will be playing in Europe for at least one more year. That’s why most believe the 76ers will wind up with the number one overall pick in the 2015 Draft (or at least will have the best chance to win the lottery).

Center Jahlil Okafor, a Duke Blue Devils’ commitment, is considered the top-overall prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Chad Ford of ESPN.com believes the 76ers would still select Okafor even after picking Embiid and former Kentucky Wildcats’ big man Nerlens Noel, who missed the entire 2013-2014 season with a torn ACL, over the last two seasons.

"So while the odds are heavily in the Sixers’ favor to land the No. 1 pick, this draft will do little to help their team needs.The team has two young centers in Noel and Embiid. But Okafor is the consensus No. 1 pick right now and with the exception of Emmanuel Mudiay, all of the other top prospects are bigs as well. While Okafor is different than Noel and Embiid — the Duke freshman is an old-school, back-to-the-basket, below-the-rim post beast — he could create a log jam considering Philly’s roster. But for GM Sam Hinkie, assets are the key right now and Okafor appears to be the most valuable asset in the draft."

Okafor, a 6’11, 270-pounder from Chicago, Illinois, attends Whitney Young High School and is regarded as the country’s top prospect according to 24/7 Sports’ composite rankings.

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