Welcome back Jahlil Okafor…well, in a manner of speaking. The Philadelphia 76ers’ G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, made an announcement via Twitter that shocked fans of “The Process” to their core.
OFFICIAL: The Delaware Blue Coats acquire the returning player rights to Bruno Caboclo, Matt Mooney, Shabazz Napier, and Jahlil Okafor from the Mexico City Capitanes in exchange for the rights to Skylar Mays, Justin Robinson, and Raphiael Putney.
— Delaware Blue Coats (@blue_coats) February 4, 2023
That’s right, they acquired Okafor, as well as several other former lottery picks from the Mexico City Capitanes. For those who appreciate “The Process” and how it helped us land Joel Embiid and James Harden via a Ben Simmons trade, this is a welcomed sight.
Okafor’s back with the Philadelphia 76ers…kinda.
Okafor was a highly touted lottery pick before the Sixers selected him third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He had a good first season in Philly, but when Joel Embiid made his NBA debut the next season, Okafor’s career quickly went down the drain.
He jumped from team to team for a few seasons, including the Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelican, and Detroit Pistons. Now he was playing in the G-League this year. With the Capitanes he was averaging 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Okafor has always been a great low-post scorer but the reason why he never managed to play beyond six seasons is his lack of defensive abilities. If he was even a passible defender he’d still be in the NBA.
Still for Philadelphia 76ers fans, having Okafor come to the Blue Coats isn’t only nostalgic, but a good full-circle story. Hopefully, he can play well for Delaware and maybe Philly will reward him with a 10-day contract.
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