The Process doesn’t work out for everyone in Philadelphia. Jahlil Okafor, a former third overall pick, requested a buyout after being an afterthought on a jammed-pack Sixers frontcourt. Even though management denied this request, Okafor has all but played his final game in a Philly uniform.

Okafor’s time with the Sixers has constantly fueled the league’s rumor mill. The Duke product was in trade talks before he was even drafted in June of 2015. Ever since there’s been nonstop trade chatter surrounding him – this time around, though, Okafor’s time in Philly truly seems to be reaching its inevitable expiration.

The thing is, Okafor has talent. He by no means is tailor-made for the current pace-and-space NBA, but the 21-year-old still holds plenty of value. His old-school skills in the post can certainly continue to be utilized in the new era of the game, it’s just a matter of finding out where. It clearly isn’t in Philadelphia, so the question is: Where does Okafor belong? Let me go into orphanage-mode and find the best home for the abandoned big man.

There are some obvious suitors for Okafor based on status in the league alone. Young, rebuilding squads like the Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, and Mavericks are a few obvious candidates who may inquire about the available center. Other potential landing spots include the Celtics and Spurs, among others.

Right off the bat, half of these teams wouldn’t make sense to take in the 6’11” Okafor. The Knicks have two young centers in Enes Kanter and Willy Hernangómez, so are surely not prioritizing to add another player to their frontcourt. The Mavs center and power forward spots are also crowded, including one of Okafor’s former teammates, Nerlens Noel. They couldn’t coexist in Philly, and it would likely be the same case in Dallas.

Boston has had interest in Okafor since he was exiting college, apparently coming close to dealing for him on draft night. They have reportedly shown interest in him yet again, but I don’t see it happening. The Celtics have adapted over the years to positionless, pace-and-space basketball. They’ve drafted Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Semi Ojeleye, who are all quick and versatile defenders capable of guarding multiple positions. Investing in Okafor would virtually destroy that mentality, even if he was just coming off the bench.

That leaves us with three ideal landing spots for Okafor: Atlanta, Chicago, or San Antonio.

San Antonio Spurs

If there is one team who could care less about the current small ball trend, it is the Spurs. They’ve always been a slower, less three-happy franchise, and this season has been no different. Greg Popovich may be the perfect coach to take in Okafor, as he has proven to bring out the best in big men over the years.

As far as the Spurs system goes, the 21-year-old would fit in well. His efficient post scoring would be welcomed to San Antonio, and his defensive limitations are capable of being pushed slightly under the rug – especially once Kawhi Leonard returns. After all, they have a rotting 37-year-old Pau Gasol manning the five position right now, so how much worse would Okafor be on that end? If anything, I’m sure his younger, fresher legs would prove better on defense comapred to Gasol.

The primary factor that would prevent the Spurs from biting on Okafor is his lack of passing. San Antonio takes pride in playing team basketball and making the extra pass, and Okafor, who has averaged 1.2 assists per game over his career, might be a black hole that sucks away at their ball movement. At first glance, he doesn’t seem to have the “Spurs mentality” that players always seem to possess on the roster.

Atlanta Hawks

The 1-7 Hawks would make a lot of sense to pull the trigger on the misfit center. Atlanta is clearly in rebuild mode, boasting a super inexperienced starting lineup. They are in the 17th percentile in points in the paint, so Okafor’s assistance would be of great use to them. Okafor may be a one-dimensional player, but scoring in the paint is one of his only strong suits. Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins are not getting it done in the post thus far, and bringing in Okafor would improve the balance and efficiency of their scoring.

The second reason why the Hawks are an attractive destination for Okafor is their underwhelming work on the boards. They currently sit 22nd in the league in rebounding, and that happens to be the second department that Okafor thrives in. While he is no Andre Drummond, the Sixer has averaged 8.2 rebounds per 36 minutes through his short career (I give the per 36 statistic because he only saw an average of 22.7 minutes in 2016-17 and 30 minutes in 2015-16, which was his rookie campaign). From a need standpoint (points in the paint and rebounding), Okafor would fit the bill.

However, there are some red flags. Coach Budenholzer’s squad ranks in the 17th percentile in three-pointers made, so Okafor would only further clog the paint and limit Atlanta’s floor spacing. This would make it increasingly difficult for slashers like Dennis Schroder to operate. While the rookie John Collins has flashed some stretch potential, and the Hawks could place shooting bigs like Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Muscala next to Okafor, I still question the spacing issues that Okafor would bring.

More importantly, the Hawks like to play fast. They own the 9th fastest offense in 2017-18 so far, and Okafor would limit their ability to run the court at the pace they like. So, while Atlanta may be interested in Okafor to address their rebounding and post-scoring needs, he doesn’t quite seem to be the best match for their style of play.

Chicago Bulls

Okafor, meet your new home. Well, it turns out that Chicago is what Jahlil used to call home when he was growing up there with his dad as a kid. He attended elementary and high school in Chi-Town before attending Duke University in North Carolina.

The Bulls are the perfect fit for Jahlil Okafor. His strengths properly align with Chicago’s needs, while his weaknesses compliment their play style. Here’s what I mean by that.

Windy City puts up 34.7 points in the paint per game, the second lowest in the NBA. Meanwhile, Okafor specializes in the paint. 78% of his 1,218 career shots have come inside the paint, and 58% of those were from inside the restricted area:

(via NBAsavant.com)

As formerly noted with the Hawks, it is clear from this heatmap that Okafor is the opposite of a floor spacer. That would greatly hinder Atlanta’s spacing, but for Chicago, it wouldn’t be as much of a problem. The Bulls are definitely no assassins from the perimeter, but they have floor spacers in place that would compliment Okafor’s interior presence and give him room to operate down low. Their rookie, Lauri Markkanen, was one of the best pure shooters in his class and has already provided exceptional spacing this season for the Bulls. Pairing Okafor with the rookie power forward would theoretically work nicely.

The issue of Jahlil’s slow place could be minimized in Chicago – the Bulls are the third slowest team in the league, meaning that Okafor’s style of play would not prevent them from playing the game at their speed. They would naturally hide the big man’s subpar acceleration and athleticism with their slower pace, making it a win-win situation.

In addition to the complimenting playstyles, the current state of the Bulls only further strengthens their case to bring in Okafor. After parting ways with Jimmy Butler, Chicago instantly became the youngest team in the league – they’re tied with the Suns with an average age of 24. Okafor is only turning 22 this December and is well worth any risk he may bring on or off the court. If you ask me, Okafor is 100% capable of doing everything that Robin Lopez is currently doing as the starting center. Plus, they’d be following their rebuilding trend by replacing their oldest roster spot with what would be the third youngest. Or, maybe they can keep Lopez and have him mentor the inquisitive Okafor. Either way, I don’t see a reason for Chicago to not create a roster spot for him.

So, there you have it. No matter how you look at it, Okafor and the Bulls are the perfect match. Whether Chicago trades a second-round pick to make it happen or wait for a future buyout (or even free-agency, if it takes that long), I see Okafor repping the Windy City as his next team.

Where do you think Okafor will end up, and where would be the best fit for him? Let me hear what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

-Erik

Follow Erik J on Twitter: @erikjohnson32

Featured photo of Okafor via Flickr/BigThreeSports Artwork

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