Jahlil Okafor will be looking to prove next season that he was worthy of being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and New Orleans is the first stop on what he hopes will be a career revival tour.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Pelicans have signed Okafor to a one-year deal with a team option for the 2019-20 season.
Free agent center Jahlil Okafor has agreed to a deal with New Orleans, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 8, 2018
Source: Partial guarantee on this season, and a team option for 2019-20. https://t.co/uqHXwW06Rb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 8, 2018
Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers, but it has been all downhill since then. He appeared in just two games with Philly last season before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he averaged 6.4 points per game in 26 games off the bench.
While many have already labeled Okafor a draft bust, the shots the 22-year-old has taken at the 76ers indicate he believes he has not been given enough opportunities. The Pelicans are hoping that is the case.
