Former Number Three Overall Pick By The 76ers Gets Waived By The Brooklyn Nets; Should This Team In The East Take A Look At Him?

The Brooklyn Nets announced that they have waived Jahlil Okafor on Thursday. Okafor has played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons.

Jahlil Okafor spent 26 games during the 2017-18 NBA season on the Brooklyn Nets, and this past week he was traded by the Detroit Pistons to the Nets. 

However, Okafor will not be having a second stint on the Nets. 

On Thursday, the team announced that they have waived the former number three overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014. 

The Tweet from the Nets can be seen embedded in a post below, and the post from their website can be read here. 

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on center Jahlil Okafor.https://t.co/kF53ZIHP99

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 9, 2021

The details of the trade that sent Okafor to Brooklyn can be seen in a post below from the Nets and more can be read here from the team's site. 

The Nets have acquired forward Sekou Doumbouya and center Jahlil Okafor from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center DeAndre Jordan, second round draft picks in 2022, 2024 (via Washington), 2025 (via Golden State) and 2027 and cash considerations.https://t.co/LszB6mDkuM

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 4, 2021

If Okafor clears waivers, should the Indiana Pacers give the former Duke star a look?

Unfortunately, Okafor has never lived up to the player that many thought he could have been when the 76ers chose him third overall out of Duke in 2014. 

During his rookie season he averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. 

Since then?

He has never averaged that many points or rebounds in a season. 

That being said, while Okafor will never be the superstar people thought he could be, he has not been a bad NBA player. 

He has career averages of 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 247 career regular season games for the 76ers, Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and Pistons. 

Those numbers are certainly not bad. 

There is no question that he could come in and help an NBA team off the bench. 

Last season he played sparingly (12.9 minutes per game) and averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 27 games. 

The Pacers do not have a lot of rebounding on their team. 

Outside of Domantas Sabonis, their second best rebounder last season was Myles Turner who only averaged 6.5 RPG. 

Okafor is also still just 25 years old. 

For reference, the Pacers drafted Chris Duarte with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and he is 24 years old and has not played an NBA game yet. 

Opinion: The Pacers should take a look at Okafor.