Emeka Okafor was back in the NBA last season at age 35, after having been out of the league for four years trying to recover from a neck injury. He earned that chance going through the G-League, averaging 6.8 points on 61.2 percent shooting, plus pulling down 8 rebounds a game in 20 minutes a night, with a PER of 18.6, for the Delaware 76ers.
That was enough for the New Orleans Pelicans to call him up when DeMarcus Cousins went down, and Okafor got into 26 games. He played solid defense, and while he wasn’t putting up counting stats (4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game) he was a steadying presence, and he had a PER of 18.6.
Then this summer, no team offered him a new contract.
Until now, the 76ers — and new GM Elton Brand — are going to bring him in on a training camp deal.
Team announces 2018 training camp roster. #HereTheyCome
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) September 21, 2018
📇 https://t.co/RCwficltcb pic.twitter.com/n4d9xIGlV1
Emeka Okafor’s deal with the 76ers is a non-guaranteed minimum, per a source.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) September 21, 2018
It’s a longshot Okafor makes the roster, the Sixers have 14 guaranteed contract and that does not include T.J. McConnell. Which means the roster is pretty much set. They also have Joel Embiid as the starting center and Amir Johnson behind him, plus some small ball lineups they will roll out.
However, have a good camp and another team looking for a backup center may notice.
