5 NBA teams that could use Jahlil Okafor

The Philadelphia 76ers have effectively phased Jahlil Okafor out of their plans for the future. He could still be of use to some other teams though.

The 76ers have essentially made for All-Rookie Jahlil Okafor available for the taking for whichever team wants him. The Sixers didn’t pick up his option for next season, and his agent wasn’t happy about that at all. His trade value is shot but the team has no interest in buying him out,and letting him walk for free.

Since they won’t buy him out they’ll have to trade him, and since he only played two games last season they won’t get much in return for him. Maybe only a second-round pick. Either way they need to move him sooner rather than later. Here are some teams that could use Okafor’s services.

5. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks actually have the second-longest active playoff streak in the NBA. That is probably going to come to an end this season, and it’s not that shocking. The fact they’ve had this streak is amazing in itself, but now they’re in total rebuild mode.

The Hawks have been reported as one of the likely destinations for Okafor, and it makes sense. With the departure of Dwight Howard the team is left with rookie John Collins, Dewayne Dedmon and Miles Plumlee as their true big men. Okafor is vastly better than Plumlee and Dedmon is a defensive specialist who may not be around when this team takes the next step of their rebuild.

Okafor would get to play with some fairly talented guards that would be able to get him the ball. Kent Bazemore and Dennis Schroder are the main guards the Hawks have along with Malcolm Delaney and DeAndre’ Bembry who have proven themselves to be serviceable off the bench.

Unfortunately the Hawks may not end up with a second-round pick in next years draft, because the current one they have belongs to the Clippers, and is top-55 protected.