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NBA Trade Rumors: Jahlil Okafor will be moved by Thursday deadline

By Chris Barnewall

Feb 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) prior to action against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 117-109. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) prior to action against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 117-109. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jahlil Okafor shouldn’t be with the Philadelphia 76ers much longer

Jahlil Okafor has been involved in endless trade rumors for months now, but that may finally reach a conclusion by the end of this week. The Sixers big man has had trouble fitting in with the organization ever since being drafted third overall, and his role on the team doesn’t mesh well with the logjam of big men Philly has. Joel Embiid has broken out to be a future star in the league this year and Nerlens Noel has proven too valuable to move at the moment. This leaves Okafor the odd man out among three young bigs all in need of minutes. Trading him sooner, rather than later, will be good for both sides.

Luckily for Okafor, the Sixers have acknowledged this and plan to move him by the trade deadline this Thursday at 3:00 p.m. EST. Where that is right now is still up in the air, but one thing that’s for certain is he will be moved by Thursday.

According to David Aldridge, the Sixers have a handful of offers to work through at the moment meaning there is definite interest in him. The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings were two of the teams he mentioned and that is a little strange. The Kings just traded away a much better version of what people want Okafor to be, in DeMarcus Cousins, and the Pacers already have a young big man in Myles Turner. Okafor’s skillset requires him to be in a place that will fit his skill set well. Right now those two areas don’t look like they would do that.

Whoever does end up with Okafor will be buying low on a high potential prospect. He was drafted third in 2015 and came out of college highly touted as a prospect. There is still potential in him even if Philadelphia was never able to tap into it.