It doesn’t look like Jahlil Okafor will be getting the buy out he seeks.
Not before the February trade deadline anyway.
Though the Philadelphia 76ers declined Okafor’s fourth-year option, suggesting they’re willing to move on from him without any compensation, ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojanrowski is hearing that general manager Bryan Colangelo still wants to trade him:
Colangelo has remained determined to find an Okafor trade that will bring the Sixers back an asset, but the Sixers ultimate deal point could be centered on future second-round draft picks, league sources told ESPN.
Several teams have shown interest in Okafor as a reclamation project, and league sources said that the aftermath of a possible Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe trade could trigger the freeing of a roster spot or salary cap space for a team to absorb Okafor. The Suns have been monitoring Okafor’s circumstance with the 76ers, and a Bledsoe deal could create the moving parts around the league necessary for Okafor to be relocated.
The Suns would be an interesting end spot if they trade Tyson Chandler as part of any Bledsoe deal and are ready to ditch the Alex Len experiment for good. If the Sixers are only looking for second-round picks, they could perhaps try working something out with the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, though matching salaries with either organization would prove difficult.
Either way, the Sixers cannot expect to get much, if anything, for Okafor. They declined his team option for next year. He’s leaving this summer for nothing if he ends the season in Philadelphia. The Sixers know this. That they made this decision proves they’re ready to move on without compensation.
Ergo, they have no leverage. And while that doesn’t mean they need to accept a bad deal—i.e. one that compromises their spending power in free agency—it does mean they’re looking at lowball returns on his services.
