Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo and coach Brett Brown were full of praise at yesterday’s media luncheon for many of the team’s young talent. From Joel Embiid to Ben Simmons to Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz, the GM and coach had nothing but positives to say. But what about young center Jahlil Okafor. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Okafor remains on the trading block but will get minutes in 2017-18:
Okafor will get “every opportunity to earn playing time,” Brown said. Right now, Okafor is competing with Richaun Holmes and free-agent signee Amir Johnson for the backup center position.
Joel Embiid, the standout starter, has not been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages with training camp starting Tuesday. The Sixers said there’s no timetable for his return. As a result, expect Okafor, if healthy, to get a lot of playing time in the preseason to showcase his skills to potential trading partners.
He participated in a 3-on-3 scrimmage Tuesday. This comes after Okafor saw both of his NBA seasons cut short by injuries to his right knee. He missed 18 games last season because of the knee. He also missed two games to rest, another because of hamstring tightness, and three with gastroenteritis.
Okafor’s knee has been bothering him since he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus on March 22, 2016. The injury could make it hard for the Sixers to get what they deem as equal value for the 6-foot-11 center, the third overall pick of the 2015 draft.
Okafor sees himself as a starter in the NBA.
“But he finds himself in a situation where there is a pretty big roadblock ahead,” Colangelo said in April. “So … we discussed scenarios with his agent that we can find something mutually beneficial.
“But if not, I’m happy to have Jahlil a part of this organization.”
The Sixers had trade discussions about Okafor with several teams — including the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets — last season leading up to the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Okafor was even held out of two games, Feb. 11 at home against Miami and Feb. 13 at Charlotte, because the Sixers said they were close to a trade. He didn’t even accompany the team on the flight to Charlotte.
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He has displayed a serious commitment to his diet this off-season. Eating mostly vegan foods, he was down to 258 pounds in August. That’s 20 pounds lighter than the weight at which he entered training camp last year.
“Jahlil’s effort to get back in shape and try to earn his way back into this team is respected,” Brown said.
