AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ The Jahlil Okafor showcase tour had more positive than negative results Monday in what appeared to be one of his final _ if not the last _ games as a 76er.
The center displayed his trademark offensive prowess Monday in a 113-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Okafor finished with a team-high 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting. He was also arguably the most active he has been during his time as a Sixer. Okafor also finished with four rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes. Other than the small number of rebounds, foul shooting was a negative. He made just 2 of 7 attempts.
Earlier in the day, the Sixers (18-33) were in advanced trade discussions with the New Orleans Pelicans involving Okafor. The Sixers reportedly would receive center Alexis Ajinca and a future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. The first-rounder is expected to be the 2018 selection.
Obviously, with his participation in Monday night's game, no deal was reached earlier in the day. But these trade discussions came five days after CSNChicago.com reported the Chicago Bulls approached the Sixers about a possible trade involving Okafor.
The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 23.
Sixers coach Brett Brown spoke to Okafor on Monday.
"He's doing well," the coach said before the game. "Well enough that we are going to start him."
Okafor, who declined an interview before the game, got the start because the team is still without Joel Embiid.
This marked the sixth straight game and ninth out of 10 that Embiid missed since suffering a bone bruise in his left knee on Jan. 20. Brown said he isn't sure if the standout center will play in Wednesday's home game against the San Antonio Spurs. However, Embiid is in the Sixers' long-term plans.
It's far from that for Okafor.
The Sixers have been shopping him and Nerlens Noel, another center, for some time. Okafor is the one the team is more interested in moving, according to sources. It appears the Sixers may not wait until the deadline to part ways with him.
Don't be surprised if Bryan Colangelo, the team's president of basketball operations, had discussions Monday and will have more discussions with teams interested in Okafor. Colangelo is probably asking those teams if they can put together a package better than the one he received from the Pelicans.
Ersan Ilyasova knows what his teammate is going through. The power forward has been traded four times since June 2015. His advice to Okafor is he can't be emotional about his situation.
"Obviously if you do, it's going to [mess up] your head so bad, you are going to forget about basketball," Ilyasova said. "It's a part of the business."
Ilyasova was traded to the Pistons after spending seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Obviously when I was traded to Detroit, I tried to contribute in a good way and play," he said. "I worked my [butt] off."
Okafor said in the past that he's not focused on what he calls "trade rumors." However, he's in a bad situation in Philadelphia. Chicago and New Orleans would be better fits for him.
With the Pelicans, he would be paired in the front line with Anthony Davis. New Orleans would get the scoring post player it covets. The move would also enable them to move NBA All-Star Anthony Davis back to power forward from the center spot.
However, Ajinca would be nothing more than a throw-in. The 7-foot-2 center hasn't appeared in a game since Dec. 23 and has two seasons remaining on his contract.
Meanwhile, Okafor would also provide a scoring threat from the center position for his hometown Bulls. Chicago is looking for him to be a starter and/or have a vital role with the team. The Bulls are even interested in getting a third team involved to make the deal. That's because the Sixers don't want to make a trade for what they deem is less than equal value for the third overall pick of the 2015 draft.
But as long as he remain a Sixer, Okafor is a glaringly bad fit for the Sixers. That's why he doesn't play on the nights when Embiid plays. The Sixers use the nights when Embiid doesn't play to showcase Okafor.
Monday night's matchup went as expected.
Reserve forward Dario Saric added 13 points for the Sixers. Robert Covington finished with 11 points in his first game back after missing the previous three with a bruised right hand, and T.J. McConnell had 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
