Back with Sixers in ‘weird situation,’ Jahlil Okafor presses on

BOSTON — Jahlil Okafor said he was sitting in the 76ers' training facility on the Camden waterfront Tuesday when he got the news.

"Some of the guys on the training staff told me that if I was up to it, I could return to the team today and play in Boston," the second-year center said Wednesday.

So he boarded a plane to Boston on Tuesday to rejoin the Sixers. Okafor participated in the shootaround Wednesday morning and came off the bench in the game against the Celtics at T.D. Garden. He had four points and four rebounds in 17 minutes.

Okafor did not play the last two games because of trade talks. Although those talks continue, the team is not as close to trading the second-year center as it seemed to be in recent days. Okafor did not travel with the team to Monday's game in Charlotte or play in Saturday's home game against Miami.

Teams sometimes keep players out of the rotation if a trade is imminent to avoid a deal-killing injury. The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 23.

"It was just a weird situation," Okafor said. "I was just waiting to hear a phone call to say I was going to end up [in a certain] city. I just didn't know what to expect. … Now, I'm back here.

"It's just a weird situation for me. Something I never had to deal with."

He's not alone.

Brett Brown is in his fourth season as Sixers coach. He said there were times as a San Antonio assistant when the team would hop on a plane thinking a trade had been made involving a Spur. Then the Spurs would find out that a trade didn't go through once they landed. There also have been times with the Sixers when Brown has been asked to sit players because a trade either happened or was about to happen.

"So this isn't uncommon as it relates to the topic," Brown said of sitting Okafor. "It is uncommon as it relates to the duration of time."

In a matter of 96 hours, Okafor went from being left out of games to secure a trade, having it not go through, and then once again coming off the bench for a team that tried to unload him.

Before Okafor's return, Nerlens Noel said he heard there was a chance the center might be in Boston for the game. So he said the Sixers were prepared for that.

But …

"You know no one really knows what's going on," said Noel, who started at center against Boston. "I think it's the first time I've seen something like this in my years in the league. So I'm really unfamiliar as well."

But Okafor has remained positive. He said he did not view being the subject of trade talks as a negative.

"It was just the possibility for me being on a new team, getting a new start," he said.

Okafor had been the subject of trade discussions with the New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, and reportedly the Portland Trail Blazers, among others.

A league source said Sunday morning that the Nuggets and Sixers were no longer having discussions about Okafor.

The location on Okafor's Twitter page said "Chicago" on Sunday, fueling speculation that the Bulls were the front-runner to make a deal. However, he said Wednesday that he remained in the Philadelphia area to rehabilitate his sore right knee and work out at the practice facility.

"I don't believe they are off," Brown said of trade talks. "This particular one has not happened. The trade deadline is whenever it is. It's probably fluid. The one that was the reason for us reacting to Jahlil not being with the team — very advanced discussions — did not happen."

Like most people, Okafor thought there was a good chance that it would happen. He expected something to happen after he did not travel with the team to Charlotte.

Now he's trying to focus on just playing basketball.

"It's really difficult with all the rumors and stuff and not knowing if I'll be here tomorrow and stuff like that," he said.

Okafor spent the last few days wondering whether he was still going to be a Sixer or would have to start somewhere else. But Wednesday night, he was just excited to back on the court. And Noel was happy to have him back.

"Jah is a good friend with everybody," he said. "He's one of the best guys around. He's a real humble guy."

Follow and contact 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey on Twitter and on Instagram at PompeyOnSixers.