We’re just twenty days away from the NBA trade deadline. While most Bulls fans are wracking their brains over the pros and cons of trading Jimmy Butler, Gar Forman and John Paxson are busy pursuing multiple angles. Last month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that disgruntled point guard Rajon Rondo and misfiring sharpshooter Nikola Mirotic were on the trade block. Veteran forward Taj Gibson, who’s playing out the final season of his contract, could also be on the move.
Making the firm decision to be sellers -not buyers- at the deadline is the most logical choice for the Bulls, who look incapable of making any kind of playoff push. But the front office is rumored to be eyeing one young player to bring to Chicago. Or should we say back to Chicago. Yesterday, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago suggested via league sources that the Bulls are inquiring about the availability of Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor.
Odd Man Out
In early January, 76ers coach Brett Brown told the media his plans for their overloaded frontcourt. He got a good look at the frontcourt pairing of Okafor and Joel Embiid, and was ready to see Embiid work with Nerlens Noel.
“We want to see Nerlens and Joel a little bit. I think the Jahlil-Joel pairing we’ve seen. I think it’s fair to say, mostly, there’s nothing 100 percent certain with all of this…It is incredibly fluid still and will be while we have all these bigs on the team.” – Brett Brown
Since those words from Brown, the 76ers are 10-7. That may not sound like much, but it’s actually a gigantic improvement from their 8-24 record before that. During that January surge for Philadelphia, Noel’s minutes increased to 21.1 per game (up from 11.6 in December). Okafor’s minutes only dipped slightly (25.9 in December to 23.4 in January) with Noel’s increase, but the Sixers do look better with Noel and Embiid playing together. That’s particularly true on the defensive end, where Okafor is a liability. Then you look at Jahlil’s player efficiency rating (14.78) next to Noel’s (21.68) and the evidence starts to pile up. Okafor appears to be the odd man out.
Coming Home?
So what does Okafor, who played ball at Whitney M. Young Magnet H.S., have to offer his hometown Bulls? He’s primarily a back-to-the-basket scorer. Actually, “primarily” is generous. He can’t score from anywhere outside of the low post. 73.6% of his field goal attempts come from within 10 feet of the basket. He plays best when surrounded by perimeter shooters who can hit open shots after Okafor draws a double team.
At just 21 years old, Jahlil still has plenty of untapped potential. He can expand upon his offensive game; ideally developing a decent midrange jump shot. As previously stated, there’s tons of room for improvement on the defensive end. But hey, if Doug McDermott can makes strides, anyone can. If the Bulls finally put an emphasis on finding reliable perimeter shooters this offseason, a young piece like Okafor might fit the mold for Fred Hoiberg next season.
Make A Deal
The important question is: what will it cost GarPax to get him? The 76ers frontcourt might be overstuffed, but that doesn’t mean they’ll give up Okafor for nothing. Factor in his rookie-scale contract and Chicago’s lack of enticing roster pieces, and the Bulls would likely have to give up a first round pick for Jahlil. Either that or a third team needs to get involved, giving the 76ers an unneeded pick while dumping an unwanted salary.
Maybe, just maybe, the 76ers would be interested in a certain veteran point guard?
Only teams that could absorb Rajon Rondo's $14M salary into cap space are 76ers, Nuggets and Nets. They'd obviously want asset(s) attached.
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) January 2, 2017
Philadelphia has very little going in the point guard department. 6th year veteran Sergio Rodriguez has been their primary starter, but it’s hard to argue that he’s better than Rondo. The 76ers also lack a veteran with championship experience to provide leadership and guidance for a very young roster. Say what you want about Rondo’s play (or Instagram account) this season, but the young guys on the Bulls roster love him.
Author’s Reaction
In short: Nah, dude. Nah.
Let my expand on that. Yes, Okafor has potential to improve. Yes, he theoretically could fit into Hoiberg’s offensive system if surrounded by shooters on the floor. He fits into the “space” part of that plan. But not the pace part. Okafor’s skillset is molded for the slow games of NBA’s yesteryear. He’s an old-fashioned center in a modern game that calls for bigs who can run the floor and shoot.
In the immediacy of this season, assuming the Bulls don’t trade Butler, Jahlil’s presence in the paint will hinder Butler’s ability to drive to the hoop. You can say the same about Dwyane Wade. His ineffectiveness outside the paint means the Bulls’ two best scorers would be instantly double teamed by Okafor’s man if he wandered out of the lane. His ceiling only goes so high, and he’s not worth giving up a first round draft pick.
Also, the Bulls should continue to feed minutes to Cristiano Felicio. The more opportunities he gets, the more he rises to the occasion. Keeping Felicio, who’s a restricted free agent this summer, should take priority over adding Okafor.
