The forgotten man of the 2015 NBA Draft is continuing his hoops career.
Eurohoops confirms this week that former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor is on the verge of a move to Europe. Spanish basketball team Basket Zaragoza is reportedly working to finalize the signing of Okafor for next season.
Okafor, now 27, was one of the most hyped prospects of the 2015 class following a season in which he helped lead Duke to the national title. The Philadelphia 76ers selected the big man Okafor No. 3 overall that year (just behind Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell and ahead of Kristaps Porzingis and Devin Booker, all of whom went on to become All-Stars).
Though he was a super-skilled traditional low-post scorer, Okafor had the misfortune of entering the league right before that role went completely out of style in the NBA. Okafor failed to stick with the 76ers, posting 14.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for them during their tanking years before being let go. Later on, Okafor had ping-pong stints with New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Detroit. He then went on to continue playing in China (for the Zhejiang Lions) and in the NBA G League (for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México).
We hadn’t really heard much about Okafor since his “Vegan Jah” days. But now he has resurfaced and is headed to Europe for another stint overseas.
