Should the Atlanta Hawks trade for Jahlil Okafor?

Rookie extensions were doled out earlier this week, and though no Atlanta Hawks were involved in the proceedings, a few of the players might be possible options for the Hawks to attempt to obtain in the future.

The most notable rookie option that was not picked up was the Philadelphia 76ers declining Jahlil Okafor’s $6 million 4th-year option.

Okafor, a former number 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft (after Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell), had been marginalized with the emergence of Joel Embiid as a franchise cornerstone and the meteoric rise of Ben Simmons in his current rookie year.

After a breakout rookie season that saw the center average 17.5 points, 7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks (good enough for 1st team All-Rookie), Okafor had a bit of a lost year in 2016-17 due to nagging knee injuries, and was shut down for the season in April.

Though Okafor has established himself as a reliable post scorer with fluidity and natural touch around the basket, his lack of defensive chops and perceived attitude issues have kept the term “bust” hovering around him like a persistent, pesky pest.

Okafor’s scoring is no joke, however, as his career numbers per-36 minutes really jump off the page: 20 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

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One of the main reasons for Okafor’s decline is the team situation in Philadelphia. As other players materialized to sop up Okafor’s minutes, he became more and more marginalized — coming to a head this season with the swift and dynamic ball movement that Philly has implemented with the help of new “point guard” Ben Simmons.

This is exacerbated by the fact that Richaun Holmes (currently injured) would be ahead of him in the rotation, and is expected to return to action soon.

What Okafor needs is a new situation in which he can showcase his impressive offensive skills, and though a return to his hometown of Chicago might be tempting — as they could certainly use the offensive help — so too would a move to the Atlanta Hawks.

It’s hard to gauge how much the Hawks would need to give up in order to land Okafor (probably only a late second-round pick), but if they were to obtain him in a trade, he would ostensibly be the highest draft pick the Hawks have had since they selected Al Horford third overall in 2007.

Okafor is not known for his defensive prowess, but Coach Bud has been known to get strong performances on that end out of lesser talents, so perhaps that will come.

On the offensive end, Okafor would have a chance to contribute right away, as the Hawks desperately need help on that end of the floor.

Since youth is an important part of Travis Schlenk’s master plan for the Hawks, Okafor is still only 22 and would fit in with this newfound youth movement. As John Collins continues to improve on all fronts, pairing him with Okafor in the frontcourt could create nightmarish matchup problems against smaller teams inside.

Once again, Okafor would probably be tasked with spearheading second units as bench scoring is something the Hawks have struggled with so far this season (other than a few sparkling Marco Belinelli performances). The minutes would be there for Okafor though, which was one of his main sticking points during his 76ers tenure.

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With the Hawks firmly in the tank this season, Okafor would have plenty of chances to prove his worth for the team this season, and with a good coach, perhaps he could rehabilitate his value and career to the stature that comes from being a top-5 lottery pick.

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