The Mistreatment of Jahlil Okafor
The 3rd overall pick in 2015 has not been the best since joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Although he has shown flashes of being a prolific scorer, he does not fit the mold of a modern NBA center. Okafor’s total rebound percentage is 11.4%, which is 159th in the NBA and his block percentage is 3.6%, which is 61st in the NBA.
This made Okafor the odd man out in a big man rotation that also consists of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. Okafor has interest from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade rumors have been going on for about a week and the offers have been solid, but no trade yet. The question is what are Bryan Colangelo and the 76ers’ front office doing? The answer is simply nothing.
Colangelo held Okafor out Saturday’s game because trade talk was heating up, and then he Okafor did not make the trip to Charlotte. The trade was right around the corner as Okafor was seen shaking hands of 76ers’ front office members. However, still no trade. Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer recently reported that Colangelo held him out as a ploy to get better offers but it did not work. Okafor then met up with his teammates in Boston but he continues to be stuck in limbo.
Okafor is 21-year-old kid and the way he’s being treated by a 51-year-old Colangelo is disgusting. No player should be treated like an asset; they should be treated as people. You can say a lot about the previous regime but they treated players with respect. Sam Hinkie cared about the players and talked to each of them everyday, which is why Embiid nicknamed himself what Hinkie started, “The Process.” Okafor has been handling this situation amazingly and I have gained a lot of respect for him, however, I also lost the little respect I had for Colangelo. This needs to be fixed as soon as possible or free agents will cross Philadelphia off their list.