The Philadelphia 76ers choosing to decline Jahlil Okafor's fourth-year option makes it clear that the organization has no plans for him to remain with the team moving forward, if six DNPs in this young season didn't send the message clear enough.
By doing so, Okafor is likely to push for a buyout, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. The Duke standout is slate to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and is convinced the front office has gotten workable trades for him throughout the last season.
Okafor's stock is at an all-time low, given he hardly sees the floor — tallying 10 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks during his lone 22-minute stint on the floor this season.
Besides racking up endless DNPs throughout the last season-and-change, the big man has proved prone to injury (as the rest of the Sixers' first-round picks, apparently) and earned a reputation of being a defensive liability, despite his well-rounded post game.
The options aren't many, but Okafor is only 21 years of age and could turn the page with a different team that is willing to give him an opportunity to save his NBA career.
The big man is part of a franchise-created logjam at the center position — one that renders him helpless and unable to garner minutes as centerpiece Joel Embiid ramps up activity through the start of this campaign.
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