The NBA trade deadline is just a couple of days away and Jahlil Okafor is one of the top players who might have a new team on February 23. The latest NBA trade rumors imply that the Indiana Pacers are interested in acquiring Okafor from the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Pacers have reached out to the Sixers for a possible deal involving Okafor. The 21-year-old is averaging 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his second season.
There is no clear indication which players the Pacers will trade for Okafor but it is considered a bad move for Indiana. The Pacers already have an older version of Okafor in Al Jefferson and Myles Turner is the center of the future for the franchise.
Okafor is a good low-post scoring threat with a variety of moves but that's all he can do. He is not a good rebounder and defender for a guy his size. He can't also make plays down low since he's not a good passer unlike the other young bigs around theNBA.
If the Pacers acquire Okafor, they cannot play fast and it goes against what team president Larry Bird wants. The NBA legend told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star at the start of the season that he wants the Pacers to play at a quicker tempo and more small ball.
"I like the small ball. Some nights we fired it up there, made some 3s and beat some pretty good teams. Other nights they fired it up, didn't make any shots and we get beat. But I think over a period of time I think it would've worked a lot better especially when they got used to each other," Bird said at that time.
The Pacers appear to be in panic mode since Paul George has expressed that he might opt-out of his contract after the 2017-18 season. George wants to win an NBA championship and he can do it with the current Pacers squad.
Bird is making a big mistake in acquiring Okafor since the Duke product is not going to help them win. He still has a lot of potential but there's no time for George to wait for him to develop. George is going to be a sought-after superstar next season if the Pacers made him available.
Other teams that expressed interested in Okafor include the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. Check out the video below to watch some of Okafor's highlights this season.