Felix Okpara might be one of the more underrated draft prospects coming out of college this year. He had a really solid week at the NBA Combine, and it feels like he may have played his way into second-round consideration.
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At 6-foot-11, Okpara already brings elite defense, rebounding, and effort. He does all the dirty work that winning teams need. The offensive game still needs development since most of his points come off lobs, dunks, and putbacks, so spending some time in the G League could help him grow offensively.
Still, what makes Okpara intriguing is that he understands his role. He’s not trying to do too much, and that gives him a real chance to carve out a career as a reliable backup center who can provide strong defensive minutes off the bench.
These are three NBA teams that should target Okpara in the NBA Draft.
1. Golden State Warriors
With all the uncertainty surrounding Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis, the Golden State Warriors could definitely use more help in the frontcourt. Not to mention Charles Bassey and Al Horford are also free agents.
Golden State has never really needed star centers to win either. They made Finals runs with guys like Festus Ezeli and Zaza Pachulia filling simple roles around the stars. That’s why Felix Okpara makes a lot of sense. He wouldn’t need touches or a huge offensive role. He’d just need to set solid screens for Curry, rebound, and defend the rim, all things he already does really well. The Warriors have a late second-round pick they could use on Okparas as well.
2. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans desperately need help defensively after finishing near the bottom of the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage and second-chance points allowed last season. That’s part of why Felix Okpara feels like such an interesting fit for them.
Okpara would be a low-risk developmental option for a Pelicans team that’s still trying to build its core. He could compete for a roster spot while also spending time in the G League developing offensively if needed. The nice part for New Orleans is that there would not be immediate pressure on him to contribute big minutes right away. His rebounding, defense, and hustle fit exactly what the Pelicans need more of.
3. Washington Wizards
Felix Okpara would fit nicely with the Washington Wizards. Washington had the worst defense in the NBA last season with a 121.5 defensive rating. Center Alex Sarr has already shown flashes of being a strong two-way piece, but the Wizards still need more depth behind him.
Adding Okpara would give Washington another high-level rim protector, and a frontcourt trio of Sarr, Anthony Davis, and Okpara would provide serious interior defense and rebounding. The Wizards also finished 26th in rebounding last season, so it's an area they need to address as well, and Okpara helps in both places. Washington already has scoring talent in place, so targeting Okpara in the late second round with pick No. 51 or 60 and letting him compete for a roster spot could make a lot of sense.
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