According to NBA insider Keith Smith, the New Orleans Pelicans' recent signing of Jahlil Okafor was a deal that was two years in the making.
Apparently, the Pelicans already had their eyes set on the 6-foot-11 big man as early as his rookie year, with an anonymous source close to Okafor telling Smith that New Orleans almost pulled the trigger on a deadline deal back in 2016.
The particulars of the failed coup, however, were not made public, so we can only speculate on what the Pelicans would have given up back then in order to acquire Okafor. What is clear, though, is that they would have parted ways with at least one valuable asset given Okafor's projected value a couple of years ago.
The former Duke standout had a solid rookie campaign, averaging 17.5 points on 50.8 percent shooting, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. Some considered Okafor to have centerpiece potential back then, which means that had a deal gone through, the Philadelphia 76ers would not have let him go for cheap.
Unfortunately, the next two years did not pan out as planned for Okafor. His numbers dipped significantly, and in the middle of last season, the Sixers traded him, along with Nik Stauskas and a future second-round pick, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Trevor Booker.
Okafor failed to make his mark in Brooklyn, and the team opted against offering him a new deal, thereby allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
It appears that everything worked out for the Pelicans now that they finally got their man two years later, without having to give up anything in return. Whether or not he will be able to turn his career around remains to be seen.
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