76ers trade Okafor to Brooklyn
Buried on the bench in Philadelphia, Jahlil Okafor has a chance to prove in Brooklyn he’s not a bust.
Okafor got his wish when the 76ers finally traded the No. 3 overall pick of the 2015 draft to the Nets. The deal ends the stalemate that kept Okafor on the bench for all but two games this season.
Once a prized piece of The Process, Okafor rapidly fell out of favor with the rise of star center Joel Embiid.
“Love you. New beginnings,” Embiid said he texted Okafor. “Good luck. And I made sure to let him know I was going to kick his [rear].”
Team president Bryan Colangelo said he reached a deal with a team he declined to name to trade Okafor last season until it fell apart at the last minute. That led to anawkward situation where Okafor didn’t even travel with the team during the trade deadline. Okafor led the 76ers in scoring as a rookie with Embiid out with injuries.
Okafor played 55 games last season but didn’t mesh with the new franchise center. Okafor started piling up DNP-CDs and those stretched into this season. “He can go play basketball again,” coach Brett Brown said.
The 76ers also sent guard Nik Stauskas, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft, and a 2019 second-round pick to the Nets for forward Trevor Booker. Booker, the 23rd overall pick of the 2010 draft by Washington, averaged 10.1 points with the Nets.
“There is a level of toughness and versatility that interests me,” Brown said. “He’s shown that he can play, handle not play and be good people and handle himself like a pro.”
Pelicans
New Orleans said reserve center Alexis Ajinca has had surgery on his right knee and his recovery is expected to take four to six months, virtually ending his chances of playing this season.
Elsewhere
The NBA will open a basketball academy in Mexico City in January. NBA commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement Thursday night before Oklahoma City faced Brooklyn in NBA’s 25th game in Mexico since 1992. Mexico’s capital will be the seventh city in the world with an NBA academy, joining Canberra, Australia; Jinan, Urumqi and Zhuji, China; Delhi National Capital Region, India; and Thies, Senegal.