Chuma Okeke Rumors

VECENIE: I have, indeed, scouted Okeke extensively. I had him rated as a late first-rounder in the 2019 draft, placing at No. 30 on my board. He’s really interesting because he’s definitely my kind of player. His feel for the game is super high. He reads and reacts to what’s happening on the floor, and makes things happen because of it. He’s got the size and length that Orlando covets at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, and he’s a really good defender because of it. His activity in covering a lot of holes in help situations is really beneficial to his team’s defense. And on offense, Okeke morphed into a solid shooter who can really pass the ball and keep defenses into rotation.

The real thing I’m worried about with him is the athleticism aspect, especially coming off the knee injury. His foot speed wasn’t awesome prior to the injury, and that left some executives questioning if he could play on the wing and deal with some of the quicker guards across the league. If that bounces back and improves as he keeps leaning out his frame, he has a shot to be a real difference-maker. But his speed was already at the marginal level prior to that. So any loss there would significantly alter my evaluation.