NBA Trade Rumors: Why Jahlil Okafor Is Still a Member of the Philadelphia 76ers
Okafor is not getting that much playing time currently with the 76ers
The future looks bright for the Philadelphia 76ers. Young foundational players Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are thriving, and the fans are getting heavily invested in the team.
After years of losing, the 76ers look poised to remain competitive for much of this season, and some are even predicting that they will be surprise playoff entrants.
Things are finally turning around for the franchise, but it is not sunny for each and every member of the roster.
For instance, Jahlil Okafor, a player previously expected to be an important part of the team's resurgence, is not doing much at the moment.
It would be one thing if Okafor was simply underperforming, but at this point, he is not even getting that much playing time.
The 76ers seem to have chosen which young players they are building around and investing in, and unfortunately for Okafor, he does not seem to be one of them.
At this point, a trade would seem to be in the best interests of both Okafor and the team, but nothing has materialized yet and there are reasons for that.
As NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman noted in a recent article, a trade market does not exist for Okafor at this point, which is hardly surprising.
Big men who struggle to space the floor with shooting who are also incapable of providing consistently good rim protection are simply not in demand. Okafor belongs in that category of big men, going by what he has shown so far.
He is talented for sure and is also still capable of doing certain things extremely well on the court. It is just that most teams are not interested in those things he brings to the table anymore.
Okafor's place may no longer be with the 76ers either presently or in the future, and he may find it difficult to find a spot on other NBA teams as well.