default-cbs-image

UPDATE: Jahlil Okafor responded to the report with a series of tweets on Sunday.

"One second I'm reportedly upset to be in Philly, then the next I'm upset about trade rumors and having to leave Philly," Okafor tweeted. "Which one is it? Source please confirm. Seems like writers are getting lazy, dropping a fraudulent story and try to make it credible by using that magic word.... Sources! Lol stop it. With all that being said. I love where I am, and I am excited about this upcoming season. Big season for us! #Philly."

---

Jahlil Okafor is just 20 years old, but he's already found out about the realities of trade rumors as an NBA player. The Philadelphia 76ers big man was reportedly almost moved at the trade deadline during his rookie season, and it has been clear that he has been available all offseason. New Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo has reportedly explored trading Okafor and big man Nerlens Noel, and he has been transparent in interviews about needing to balance the roster.

Apparently, Okafor is not thrilled about this, via the Bucks County Courier Times' Tom Moore:

As for Jahlil Okafor and Noel still being on the roster, Colangelo clearly didn't get what he perceived as fair value in trade talks prior to, on and since draft night.

An NBA source said Colangelo "tried like hell to trade Okafor." As a result, Okafor is "upset and his people are upset."

Colangelo and the Sixers then turned their attention to Noel, but nothing happened there, either.

A few thoughts:

  • Okafor doesn't have to be happy about all of this. Just a year ago, Philadelphia selected him third overall in the NBA Draft. Given the hype that surrounded him in high school and his single season at Duke, he probably anticipated being a franchise player, not trade bait. Okafor is an extraordinarily skilled low post player, so he should still see himself as a potential star.
  • This is a unique situation, and Okafor has known that since the day he was drafted. The Sixers picked him because they thought he was the best player available, but it created a logjam in the frontcourt. Last year, coach Brett Brown tried all sorts of things to get Okafor and Noel playing comfortably together, but it looked like both of them are best suited to playing center. Philadelphia's No. 3 overall pick from 2014, Joel Embiid, is on track to make his debut this coming season, and he is also a center. It should not be even a little bit surprising that Colangelo is looking at his trade options.
  • As harsh as it sounds, Okafor might not be dealing with this stuff if his first season had gone better. Beyond the off-court incidents that reflected poorly on the Sixers' entire rebuilding process, he struggled with defense, rebounding and even passing, a supposed strength coming out of college. This is not to say that he had a bad year, but he did not prove to Philadelphia that it absolutely had to keep him, nor did he play well enough that other teams have been willing to part with valuable assets to acquire him.

Okafor is still extremely young, of course, and the strengths that he's had for years haven't gone anywhere. Whether he's with the Sixers or somewhere else next season, he will draw some double teams down low and record 20-point games pretty regularly. The question is whether or not he'll round out his game, and until he does, if his teammates can cover up his flaws.