Former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor has agreed to a training camp deal with the Indiana Pacers, according to Shams Charania. Okafor last played in the NBA during the 2020-21 season, appearing in 27 games for the Detroit Pistons. He then played overseas for two seasons in China and most recently had a season in Spain where he averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Okafor was drafted third overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers after an impressive year at Duke University. He had a strong start to his rookie career, averaging 17.5 points, seven rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game before suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee that caused him to miss the last part of the season. Despite this setback, he earned All-Rookie First Team honors and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
During his three seasons with the Sixers, Okafor faced challenges due to roster building decisions made by Philadelphia’s management. The team already had Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid on their roster when they selected Okafor with their third overall pick in 2015, creating a logjam at center position that hindered his development. As Embiid began to excel on both ends of the court and Noel showed promise as a rim protector, Okafor’s playing time decreased significantly.
After being traded to Brooklyn as part of a salary dump deal in 2017, Okafor struggled to find stability with different teams including Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Detroit Pistons.
Now after several years playing overseas, Okafor is getting another opportunity at an NBA comeback with the Indiana Pacers.
