Jahlil Okafor gets a third — and probably last — NBA chance

Jahlil Okafor is heading south to try to get his career pointing upward.

The center agreed to sign with New Orleans on Tuesday, according to ESPN, where he figures to be vying to back up Anthony Davis. According to the report, his contract includes a partial guarantee for this season and team option for 2019-20.

This may be Okafor’s last chance to save himself from bust status. The third-overall pick in 2015, one slot ahead of Kristaps Porzingis, entered Philadelphia with a lot of hype that he never lived up to. The former Duke superstar, who is constantly critiqued for his defensive work, was buried on the bench by 2017 and flipped to the Nets.

Brooklyn, always seeking buy-low projects with ceilings, didn’t work out either, with Okafor averaging 6.4 points and 2.9 rebounds playing 12.6 minutes per game. He could not crack the regular lineup of a 28-54 team.

Now, he leaves the Northeast for the Pelicans, who do feature a potential role model for him: his distant cousin Emeka.

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