5 Landing Destinations For Jahlil Okafor

Josh Wilson

Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) holds the ball away from Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jahlil Okafor may be on the trading block as soon as the NBA Draft. If the Philadelphia 76ers decide to move him, where could he go?

There’s no secret with the Philadelphia 76ers: They are going to have to move at least one of their big men eventually. It’s a good problem to have, given that the reasoning for having to move a player is that they have too much talent at one position, but still, finding the right deal at the right time is going to be tough.

Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, and Nerlens Noel were all lottery picks in their respective drafts, and all at one point were being considered for the top overall pick. The fact that they all ended up on one team is pretty remarkable.

Moving forward, though, no one can stop talking about the logjam that exists in the frontcourt. There’s too many players to divvy up the minutes reasonably, and once all three of these players are back to full health, none of them will be able to get the minutes that they deserve.

Recent “reports” have people that are wanting to trade Jahlil Okafor hoping that the team gets a deal done for him on Draft night. This could mean that the team moves up in the draft and has a shot at yet another top three overall pick.

Okafor certainly has the highest trade value. His rookie season was impressive, as he averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. The flip side of that argument is that Okafor is such a great offensive force that it would be foolish to get rid of him, especially at the early stage in his career. The potential he has seems ceiling-less at this point. He’s so good already, and his few flaws could easily be fixed over the next few seasons.

If Okafor is dealt on Draft night, or even after that point, there are a few places we could see him play next.

Next: Honorable mentions

Jan 27, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; The Dallas Mavericks mascot holds up the team flag before the game between the Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center. The Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 109-90. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable mentions

Some teams are possibilities, but were too unlikely as far as destinations for Jahlil for me to consider them in the top five of this list.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks could be losing Zaza Pachulia to free agency and JaVale McGee isn’t exactly the most productive center out there. There’s definitely a need for a center, and it just seems like Okafor could fit well with Dallas. They just don’t have much to offer back to the Sixers.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers passed on Jahlil Okafor in last year’s draft, but after his production this season, perhaps they’re doing a double-take. The Roy Hibbert era didn’t work at all in LA, so perhaps the Lakers are open to a younger center at this point. I’m not sure the Lakers and Sixers could work anything out without D’Angelo Russell going to Philly, and I don’t believe the Lakers want to do that.

It is possible that the Sixers could offer the protected 2017 Lakers pick back to Los Angeles and take their second overall pick from this season, but it does seem like a bit of a stretch. It would definitely be a huge deal if the Sixers could get the top pick and the second pick.

Charlotte Hornets

Al Jefferson is a free agent (and he’s nearing the end of his career), and the Charlotte Hornets run Frank Kaminsky and Cody Zeller at the center, who are pretty much the same exact person. The only way I see this getting done is if the Hornets can find a third team who wants to take either Zeller or Kaminsky, and also if the Sixers can get Nicolas Batum in a sign-and-trade from the Hornets in the process.

Next: Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls could be a landing spot for Jahlil Okafor. Given that Jahlil was raised in Chicago, it would be a nice homecoming story, but I don’t believe that will be a driving factor of this possible scenario.

Over the past two seasons, the Bulls have had a bit of an identity crisis. Failing to make the playoffs this season in their first year without head coach Tom Thibodeau, the team had a dismal year. It’s not closing any better, as reports are coming out that longtime Bull Joakim Noah will not seek another contract with the team.

The 30 most painful NBA Draft pass-ups since 2000

Hoops Habit

NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Illinois of last decade Busting Brackets

Atlanta Hawks waive Jahlil Okafor after lacklustre preseason Soaring Down South

Which Atlanta Hawks fringe player shone in the pre-season opener? Soaring Down South

Atlanta Hawks: How Jahlil Okafor can assert himself at training camp Soaring Down South

Atlanta Hawks: Storylines not to be missed in training camp - center edition Soaring Down South

On top of all of that, there is the present narrative that Derrick Rose just isn’t what he used to be, and will never be able to overcome what his injuries have made him. It looks like the Bulls need a new face for fans to get excited about, and who better to do that than a hometown kid in Jahlil?

Pau Gasol‘s career seems to be coming to an end, and with Joakim out, there is a void in the center position. Gasol’s contract is a player option for this upcoming season, so given that he returns to the team, it could be a good idea to have Jah learn alongside him for a season before he takes over the starting job completely. A frontcourt with Jah and Nikola Mirotic could be great as well, a Mirotic is taking enough shots beyond the 3-point line to convince people there wouldn’t be spacing issues with Okafor and Mirotic like there is with Okafor and Noel.

Mirotic nailed 49 percent of his 3-point attempts last season, and took 56.8 percent of his total shots from beyond the arc.

The Sixers could sneak out of this trade with Jimmy Butler, if they play their cards right. They would likely also have to offer in something else, but with three first-round draft picks this year and several in the future, they have a lot they can offer to the Bulls, who look like they could possibly be in the rebuilding stage very soon.

If the Bulls were to open shop for a trade like this, there’s no doubt that a rebuild mode would come in the following offseason.

Butler has been coveted by Sixers fans all season. Fans want the team to trade for a star, and Butler seems like he could be the guy. On contract until 2020, Butler averaged 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season.

This is an unlikely deal to be completed, it seems, but if the Sixers front office desperately wants a star, they could at least give the Bulls a call about Jahlil for Butler.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks

Mar 30, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; The Milwaukee Bucks logo on the floor prior o the game against the Phoenix Suns at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 105-94. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks

Second is the Milwaukee Bucks. Just an hour drive from Chicago, the hometown hero narrative could kick in here as well, but it’s a bit more of a stretch with this scenario. Still, I’m sure Jah would be buying his hometown family a lot more tickets to games if he played this close to home.

The Bucks are in a tricky situation with their centers right now. Miles Plumlee is a free agent, and it’s not clear if the team wants to make him the center of the future. The experiment with Greg Monroe didn’t play out as well as either party had hoped it would, and because of that, the Sixers and Bucks should turn any situation involving Okafor going to Milwaukee into a three team trade.

You can’t have Monroe and Okafor on the same team, so the Bucks could find a party interested in Monroe, send him there, and then have that team send a player in return to the Sixers. The Bucks don’t really have any players that look like they would be good options for Philly, since they would have a hard time parting with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

If the Bucks would part with Khris Middleton (and that’s a huge if) that could be a solid pickup for Philadelphia. Middleton had a career-best year this season, scoring 18.2 points per game, grabbing 3.8 rebounds, and dishing out 4.2 assists.

As I talked about with Ti Windisch on his latest episode of Timeout With Ti, Middleton on a contract for $14 million a year is, “highway robbery,” according to Ti. If the Sixers could somehow pry him away from the Bucks, it would be outstanding, because his halfway-decent 3-point shooting (averaged just under 40 percent from beyond the arc this season) is what the Sixers need on the wings.

If not, the Sixers could always get a player from a third team that will have to be involved for Greg Monroe anyway.

Next: Houston Rockets

Apr 2, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Houston Rockets logo during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Rockets defeated the Mavericks 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are another team that was decent this season, but may be on the verge of a massive rebuild without some sort of miracle quickly turning things around.

Dwight Howard, the team’s current center, has a player option on his contract for this upcoming season, and he may opt out to change teams and get himself in a better situation. Without a doubt, Howard has not really found the right fit on a team since he left the Orlando Magic in 2012.

More from The Sixer Sense

If he does leave, next in line for the center position is Clint Cappela, and Okafor is certainly an upgrade compared to him, who averaged just 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season.

The Sixers certainly wouldn’t be able to get James Harden back in this deal, but I don’t think a player like Patrick Beverley is completely out of the question. Beverley could help fill the point guard void, and is a fairly young player that still comes with a lot of early playoff experience. His averages are a bit low, at 9.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, so moving Jah and just getting Beverely in return would be a travesty.

Instead, I think the Sixers should look to involve another team with this trade and work some magic to get a future potential lottery pick.

Altogether, the likelihood of a deal like this happening is slim, but not because the Rockets wouldn’t do it. It really makes a lot of sense for them, but they just don’t have enough to sensibly offer in return for Okafor without involving a third team.

Next: Atlanta Hawks

Apr 19, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) is guarded against Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) near the Atlanta Hawks logo in the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 89-72. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks

This situation hasn’t been brought up as far as trading Okafor goes a whole lot, and that’s a bit of a surprise. During the NBA trade deadline this season, the Atlanta Hawks were brought up as suitors for potential Sixers deals, and the Sixers came very close to a big trade according to reputable reporters.

More from The Sixer Sense

Guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder were both mentioned as the potential pieces to these trades on the Hawks side, and the Sixers had Ish Smith, Nik Stauskas, and JaKarr Sampson to offer on their side. Now, two of those three players mentioned in the original almost deal are either not Sixers or will be free agents this summer, so the Sixers would have to get a different player in the mix in order to revitalize this transaction.

Jahlil would be that player. With Al Horford becoming a free agent this summer and also possibly coming up on the end of his career, it would make sense for Atlanta to want a young big man. Okafor plays a lot like Horford does in a sense that they both do their best work close to the hoop — Although Horford is a much better 3-point shooter — and could slip into the Hawks’ system with ease.

Teague or Schroder are both good point guards that would suddenly answer a lot of questions about the Sixers future. I’m not sure if they’re the best fit with what the roster is currently shaping up to be, but then again, the roster is very much a moldable one at this point.

Next: Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Yes, I’m sure you saw this one coming. The Boston Celtics reportedly were targeting Jahlil Okafor at the trade deadline this year, and that precedent is leading to a lot of speculation regarding moving him this summer. The Celtics obtaining the third overall pick, and the Sixers not getting both the fourth overall and first overall pick only fuels those rumors.