Earlier this month, the Indiana Pacers signed former No. 3 overall draft pick Jahlil Okafor to a 10-day contract. Okafor had spent the entire season in the G League with the Mad Ants up to that point. Despite his familiarity with the organization, Okafor was not Indiana's first choice for a third-string center as they initially had plans to sign the recently bought-out Alex Len before he joined the Los Angeles Lakers instead.
Okafor appeared in one game for the Pacers and logged just three minutes. From the beginning, it was considered unlikely he would assume a large role in the rotation. However, given that head coach Rick Carlisle had a "specific role" for Okafor, there was a chance that he could become an important asset for the team.
The big man's 10-day contract recently expired. Indiana now has the choice to sign him to a second 10-day contract or opt to move him back to the G League. Despite the dilemma, the Pacers have already made their decision on Okafor.
Jahlil Okafor is moving back down to the G League
According to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star, the Pacers have decided not to sign Okafor to a second 10-day contract. Instead, the Chicago native will now head back down to the G League and resume his tenure with the Mad Ants. Additionally, per Dopirak, the Pacers have no immediate plans to fill that roster spot.
Though his comeback story has been fun to monitor so far, this decision does not come as much of a surprise. Okafor was never meant to be a mainstay on the Pacers' main roster, and he did not have much of an opportunity to prove otherwise. However, the Pacers still need a third center on the roster, so it would not be a major surprise if they choose to sign him to another 10-day deal down the line.
On the other hand, the Pacers have other options as well. They could wait it out and see how the buyout market looks (though they might be better off avoiding this route entirely). Additionally, the Pacers could also choose to give another player on the roster that roster spot. In this case, the most likely candidate would be rookie big man Enrique Freeman, who is on a two-way contract.
Regardless of what they decide, it will not make much of a difference for the Pacers anyway. They are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and are in a good spot to make another deep playoff run no matter how they fill out the rest of the roster.