Nobody was buying what Jahlil Okafor and his representation were trying to sell during the previous free agency period: a physically healthy, in-a-good-place mentally and a more traditional back-to-the-basket center.
Then on August 8th the New Orleans Pelicans took the plunge by signing the 22-year-old to a very team friendly two-year contract, with only $50,000 of the money guaranteed up front and the second year a team option.
In recent days, that contract has gone from a widely assumed afterthought to possibly one of the best bargains in the NBA — this year and next.