Jahlil Okafor has reached an settlement with the Pacers on a coaching camp contract, agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports activities tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter hyperlink).
The 28-year-old heart, who was chosen by Philadelphia with the third decide within the 2015 draft, will get an opportunity to return to the NBA after three years away. Pacers officers watched him in exercises over the summer time and had been impressed by his conditioning stage, Charania provides.
Okafor has been out of the NBA because the 2020/21 season, when he appeared in 27 video games with Detroit. He was traded to Brooklyn that summer time and later signed with Atlanta, however wasn’t in a position to win a roster spot with both group.
Okafor resumed his basketball profession abroad, taking part in in China and Spain earlier than signing with a Puerto Rican group in February. He additionally hung out within the G League and was among the many gamers chosen by Phoenix’s new affiliate on the growth draft in June. The Pacers’ affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, acquired Okafor’s rights in a G League commerce on Friday.
Okafor averaged 17.5 factors and seven.0 rebounds in his first season and completed fifth within the Rookie of the Yr voting, however he wasn’t in a position to maintain that stage of success. He was traded to Brooklyn after a little bit greater than two seasons with the Sixers, and performed two years in New Orleans earlier than transferring on to Detroit.
The Pacers solely have 12 gamers in camp with absolutely assured contracts, so Okafor ought to have a possibility to compete for a roster spot. They are going to be on the offseason restrict of 21 gamers as soon as his signing turns into official.
