Teams Don’t Need Jahlil Okafor, Which Makes a Trade Difficult to Come By

Jahlil Okafor lacks versatility in a league predicated on that very notion — that makes things difficult for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jahlil Okafor’s appeal coming into the league was obvious. He had the looks of a basketball prodigy in his amateur years, overpowering high schoolers on the interior while translating his back-to-the-basket prowess into consistent production for a championship-winning Duke team during his sole year in college. When he fell to third on draft night, Sam Hinkie was — at the time — committed to selecting the best player available. That’s where things got difficult for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia 76ers

Okafor’s game has many flaws, most of which were, and still are, inherently unavoidable. He’s a step slow defensively, underwhelming on the boards and a proverbial black hole on the offensive end. None of those attributes, though, hurt him more than one simple truth in today’s league — if you can’t adjust, you can’t win.

In a league center around positional versatility and offensive malleability, Okafor’s game doesn’t have a niche. Teams need to be able to push the pace, up ball movement and shoot from deep, facets of the game which are unaided by Okafor’s presence, if not hindered.

He stops the ball offensively, relying on ineffecient post-ups that go against the analytical trends of today’s schemes. He’s a liability defensively, as he struggles to defend outside of the painted area and lacks the rim protection needed to mask such a deficiency. He’s torn apart by quicker opposition, while bigs who thrive in the post are able to out rebound him with ease. It’s a double negative that the Sixers can’t overcome.

There’s a legitimate argument to be made in saying that Okafor is entering the league at the wrong time. While his rebounding concerns and general lack of energy would have manifested as problems during any era, earlier decades where far more conducive to his style of play offensively. He was behind the curve, per se. A 1980s big trying to make it in a league that simply can’t support defensively-challenged bigs whose offensive game is confined to a 10-foot radius.

There’s an archetype for success when looking at players in Okafor’s vein of talent. Greg Monroe has carved out a niche as one of the league’s more productive sixth men in Milwaukee, while Jusuf Nurkic has bodied his way into an impressive tier at the five spot. Where Okafor falls short, however, is with his peripheral skill set. He doesn’t have the passing touch or the defensive savvy that Monroe and, to a much greater extent, Nurkic have shown. And, at times, he just lacks the will to compete — something that could provide the pitfall in his evolution as an NBA player.

And thus, with all those issues on tap, the Sixers find themselves in a difficult scenario moving forward. Cutting Okafor seems like a wasted asset, although the merits behind doing so are becoming more justified on what seems like a daily basis. Trading him is ideal, but suitors are painstakingly scarce.

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Not only has Okafor’s only tangible role in Philadelphia been stolen by Richaun Holmes — thus destroying any semblance of leverage that the Sixers’ front office may have had — but teams, like the Sixers, have had to adjust to the ever-shifting dynamics of today’s league. Teams don’t want a defensive liability underneath, while no coaches have suitable roles for post scorers with otherwise-limited games.

Someone who was once considered an offensive savant has now devolved into a player in flux. He’s an obvious talent, but lacks purpose in a league that has moved on from his stylistic roots. When he hasn’t shown the energy, nor the willingness, to improve that when on the floor, his perceived value — what little there is left, at least — has dropped even further.

It’s difficult to not, in many ways, feel bad for Okafor. He spent his life dedicated to a craft that has been rendered virtually irrelevant. He underwent a couple of years in a difficult situation, clouded by a logjam upfront and a role that was sandwiched between the Sixers’ other young talents at the five. He also got sent home during a road trip last season, where he was essentially told he was being traded elsewhere at the deadline, only to watch Nerlens Noel make his way to Dallas while all potential suitors withdrew their offers.

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He, at the very least, handled himself well in under poor circumstances.

It comes down to that notion of versatility, though. That’s something he doesn’t have, and yet again, hasn’t seemed all that inclined to add. Other teams won’t be submitting offers for Okafor unless they can tap into additional value elsewhere, whether that be via draft picks or cap relief. The Sixers’ hands are tied, and there’s little they can do to resolve that issue.