Report: Bulls and Hawks emerge as favorites to land Jahlil Okafor

By Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly editor 

As the Jahlil Okafor situation in Philly continues to get more and more interesting, more details have emerged regarding the big-man's possible trade opportunity.

According to TNT's David Aldridge and league sources, the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls are the most likely landing spots for Okafor.

The Sixers are holding out for at least a draft pick in a possible trade, but they could also decide to keep Okafor around until the end of the season as an injury backup for Joel Embiid, but that seems unlikely, given that the team has used Amir Johnson and Richaun Holmes over Okafor at center.

The Atlanta Hawks are a struggling team right now, and had lost eight straight games until knocking off the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Sunday.

At center, the Hawks currently have Dewayne Dedmon and Miles Plumlee, but if they decide to pursue Okafor, his offense alone may intrigue them to jump on the chance. Dedmon is averaging 8.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

While defense isn't his cup of tea, Okafor would be able to increase Atlanta's production in the paint. But what would the Hawks give up in order to meet the Sixers' demands? Would they be inclined to let go a possible second-round pick in next year's draft?

The Bulls have been linked to Okafor since last season, since he's from Chicago. It would be a nice destination for the 21-year-old, and would act as a comfortable change of pace and offer a sense of familiarity.

The Bulls completely cleared house last season when losing a core of three players they had hoped would lead to a playoff run. Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, and Jimmy Butler all left, and Chicago is one of the league's most dysfunctional teams now.

The Bulls have Robin Lopez at center and their backup is Cristiano Felicio, so their depth is a definite concern. Okafor seems like he'd fit in nicely to a team that lacks center depth.

At power forward, rookie Lauri Markkanen surely has been impressive so far. This season, he is providing a small glimpse of what the Bulls can bring to the league in the future.

The interesting part about the backup center position is the drama-filled environment that has surrounded Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic, that led to a fractured facial bone for Mirotic after Portis punched him in the face during practice.

When Mirotic comes back, I doubt the Bulls will have both players on the roster moving forward. While the Sixers really don't need an additional power forward, perhaps Chicago will include the 26-year-old Montenegrin.

Both Atlanta and Chicago present interesting situations for Jahlil Okafor, and there doesn't seem to be a front-runner among the two teams, but it seems like these two teams do seem like the likely candidates.

We at Sixerdelphia and SportsTalkPhilly.com will keep you informed about the Okafor situation once more details emerge.

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