NBA Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers Bluffed Okafor as Asset, Failed

In NBA rumors that are coming in rapidly nowadays, the Philadelphia 76ers benching of Jahlil Okafor was a bluff, and they got called on it.

What a week for Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. While I could probably spend about 750 words (heck, more like 1,000 if we’re being honest) talking about how bad of a general manager Colangelo has been over the last few weeks, and how former team president and general manager Sam Hinkie would not have let this situation get this far, I’ll save that for another time.

Let’s talk about the most recent development on the Sixers’ trade rumors front. First, let’s look at what has happened.

Weeks ago

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The Chicago Bulls reportedly are showing interest in Jahlil, a Chicagoan, but no trade talks were reported.

Early last week

Early last week the Sixers were rumored to be involved in talks with the New Orleans Pelicans about the possibility of sending Jahlil Okafor to New Orleans. The Sixers wanted a top10-15 protected first round pick and possibly Jrue Holiday as well. The Pelicans wanted to unload a large contract like Alexis Ajinca. The two sides were unable to come to a compromise right away.

Late last week

On Saturday, Jahlil was benched for the game that ended in a win over the Orlando Magic. The team confirmed (something they have never done since this rebuild began) that they were involved in trade talks surrounding Okafor, and sat him to avoid an injury. It was reported shortly after the game that four confirmed teams were involved in trade talks (Trail Blazers, Bulls, Pelicans, Nuggets).

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Wednesday

Today, it’s being reported and speculated by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that the only team ever involved was the Pelicans, who weren’t exclusively talking to the Sixers about a center. Here’s the most gripping excerpt involving the Sixers and Okafor from O’Connor’s roundup of Eastern Conference questions:

"The shelving of Okafor was likely meant to flush out the best offers around the league, sources speculate. It’s not uncommon for teams to use leaks to stir interest. The Nuggets and Blazers weren’t pursuing Okafor. The Bulls likely aren’t either. No one is buying what Bryan Colangelo is selling: a one-dimensional center who can’t defend, rebound, or pass on a roster loaded with big men."

Hinkie was secretive and sneaky, but this? THIS?! This is bad, and it only piles on to everything Colangelo has done over the past week, seemingly lying about an injury of Joel Embiid.

It also shows fans that despite us thinking a trade was super close because the Sixers were talking to so many teams, it’s not true. The Sixers have one team interested, and that team has options outside of Philly. With the Sixers being so stuck on things like Jrue Holiday, we can expect that an Okafor trade won’t happen before the deadline.

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So, to put this in the simplest terms: Bryan Colangelo ostracized a player, benching him in one game, having his head coach say plainly that it was because of trade rumors (to get the conversation going with trade reports and other teams) and then didn’t bring him on a road trip to the team’s next game, further making it look like (and feel like) he was not a part of the team. Now, Colangelo is bringing that player back, forcing him to talk to the media, and forcing the team to approach an awkward situation put in place by Colangelo.

But guess who likely won’t address the media? You guessed it — Bryan Colangelo.

The Sixers Only Ever Had One Team Interested in Okafor

By Josh Wilson | Feb 15, 2017