How would the addition of Jahlil Okafor impact the Atlanta Hawks plan going forward?

After failing to pick up his option for next year, the Philadelphia 76ers have made it clear that they are looking to part ways with Jahlil Okafor. Reports suggest that two of his possible destinations include the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.

After a one-and-done championship year at Duke University, Okafor was drafted 3^rd overall in the 2015 draft by the 76ers in what was viewed as the next step in “The Process”. His rookie season was his best statistically speaking, but since then he has started to be phased out of the organization.

Now, he has more or less been told that he is a surplus in Philadelphia and should look elsewhere to continue his career. Okafor has made is very clear that he wants to play, and that’s that. The Chicago native now has to find a home, but there are only so many teams that can risk to take him.

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One option is the aforementioned Chicago Bulls, who have had their early season struggles and drama. It is possible to see Okafor stepping into that organization as they look to rebuild into a playoff contender once more.

His other strong option is to make the trip down to Atlanta and join the likes of John Collins, Dennis Schroder, and company. The Hawks rebuild is going rather well for anyone keeping a close eye on their season. Yes, they are 2-9, but some of their performances inspired true hope in Hawks fans and it seems like the players truly go out with a winning mindset every night.

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Okafor is a true center, and he would likely slot into the backup spot behind Dewayne Dedmon, for this season at least. His tandem with Collins could transform into a deadly frontcourt partnership, a la New Orleans, but it also provides concerns for Coach Bud.

One of those is the inevitable shrink in spacing. Budenholzer loves to stretch the floor with a big man in the middle and having an Ersan Ilyasova or Luke Babbitt playing almost on the wing, ready to catch and shoot on a Schroder drive and dish.

Both young players will demand to be starters next season, and rightfully so, but assuming the other three of the starting 5 are Dennis Schroder, Taurean Prince, and Kent Bazemore, 3-point field goals will be few and far between. And in a 3-point dominant league, that poses an issue.

Should Okafor join the legion in the ATL, it will also impact who the Hawks target in the upcoming 2018 draft. It will be less tempting to shoot for a frontcourt star like DeAndre Ayton or Marvin Bagley, and more likely that they look into Luka Doncic or Michael Porter.

Doncic and Porter are certainly two excellent prospects, but they will both have to settle for roles off the bench as it is unlikely that Schroder or Prince lose their starting spots after promising individual campaigns thus far.

In short, Jahlil Okafor has the capacity to incur large changes in the organization’s plans.

This is all assuming that Okafor finds his rookie season form and can produce roughly 15 points and 6 or 7 boards a night. The reward is only as great as the risk and Okafor might be a big one, so the Hawks really need to be careful and Travis Schlenk needs to consider what he deems to be the most important and if Okafor factors into that.

There is no point in simply stockpiling talent, or the possibility for talent, if none of the players make good on the chance taken on them. Schroder has done so, and Prince, and most certainly Collins as well. But the jury is still out on Mr. Okafor.

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Jahlil Okafor has been left in limbo this season, and the Hawks may just be the ones to save him and bring him back to doing what he does best. Rumors will be rumors and speculation never ends, but Okafor is a talented young man, and the Hawks are an attractive suitor. As they say, you don’t win the lottery if you never buy a ticket.