Shortly after the official end of the NBA Trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers made a move by adding Chuma Okeke to their roster on a 10-day contract. Okeke, the former No. 16 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, spent his first five years in the league with the Orlando Magic before signing with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League this past offseason. Before this addition, the Sixers had two open roster slots after sending out Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, and Reggie Jackson in the final days of the Trade Deadline.
Okeke came to the Westchester Knicks after four years in Orlando, where he struggled with both consistency and injuries. Okeke suffered a torn ACL in what ended up being his final game at the collegiate level and has since struggled to stay healthy.
Because of this, he ended up missing his entire first season with the Magic and has since dealt with bone bruises to his knee and hip over the course of his career. For the Magic, Okeke appeared in 189 games across five seasons, shooting only 38.3% from the field and 31.8% from three.
If healthy, there remains hope that Okeke could become the 3&D player he was previously projected to be, should his shot translate from the G-League to the NBA level.
This year with Westchester, Okeke has shown flashes of the player he was always meant to be. He averages 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists and shoots 47.6% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
More than anything, it’s Okeke’s defensive ability that the Sixers surely covet.
Okeke’s defensive prowess has also been on full display for the Knicks G-League affiliate, registering 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks a night. It seems that, after struggling with consistency with the Magic, he has finally found the shooting rhythm that made him a first-round pick back in 2019. His high athleticism and defensive grit could turn Okeke into a fan favorite and help him find his way into a stable spot in the Sixers rotation.
