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The Indiana Pacers Set Their Sights on Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers

By Ben Gibson

Feb 17, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; U.S. Team center Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers (8) dunks the ball during the Rising Stars Challenge at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 17, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; U.S. Team center Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers (8) dunks the ball during the Rising Stars Challenge at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indiana Pacers are interested in trading for Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor, but will he make the Pacers a better team?

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Indiana Pacers are one of the most active teams in trade talks so far and are inquiring about Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor.

It seems now that the Brook Lopez trade rumor is dead, the Pacers are moving on to other targets.

So what can Okafor offer Indiana?

As Bret Stuter of Sixers Sense puts it, Okafor’s value is often underestimated. He was expected to carry his team as a 20-year old last season, which unsurprisingly, didn’t have great results as far as wins. He ended up missing the last month of that season with a knee injury after averaging 17.5 points and seven rebounds a game for the 76ers. His defense was bad, but the 76ers as a team struggled and were one of the NBA’s worst teams on that end of the floor.

This year, however, things haven’t been the same for Okafor.

The same bad defense is there, but his averages have dropped to 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds a game as Joel Embiid, Nerleans Noel, and Ersan Ilyasova are the major players in the 76ers frontcourt now. He has wanted a trade for some time now, and even missed a game when it looked as if he might be headed out the door.

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Okafor can score and rebound, but his defense is a big question mark for the 21 year-old center. As far as the Pacers are concerned, Okafor has more athleticism than Al Jefferson or Kevin Seraphin, but the numbers don’t indicate he is that much better defensively.

However, system and personnel are everything.

Looking back at a player like Brook Lopez, his numbers got worse on a bad Brooklyn Nets team. There is no doubt he can play better than his current stats show, but within the Nets system, he doesn’t reach his full potential. That’s the sort of situation that the Pacers would be hoping for with Okafor. The question still remains, however, if he is any better at defending than what we’ve seen in the past.

One part of any potential trade with the 76ers is the fact there won’t be the normal salary matching issues. Philadelphia is under the cap, so they can bring in more salary than they send out. Indiana could dump a contract like Al Jefferson, Rodney Stuckey, or Monta Ellis without needing to get as much back.

Next: Paul George: I Think We Good

The Pacers are still looking to find Paul George help, but they would be taking a small gamble on Okafor improving if they trade for him.

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