The Los Angeles Lakers won the biggest prize in the 2024-25 regular season with the league-altering acquisition of All-NBA point guard Luka Doncic. However, as their brief playoff run underscores, they’re not a championship team yet. While Doncic and LeBron James are capable of leading L.A. to a title, they need the right supporting cast.
To that point, one area the Lakers are expected to make an offseason upgrade is at center. Anthony Davis is gone. Christian Wood has been waived. Jaxson Hayes and Co. gave it their best but it wasn’t good enough.
With that in mind, while speaking to Fox Sports’ Jason McIntyre on Straight Fire, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin revealed that Los Angeles has interest in Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu.
Hawks Should Entertain Lakers Interest In Onyeka Okongwu Trade
“…I can’t tell you all the names on that list,” McMenamin tells McIntyre, “but I actually assume he was one of the names on the list that Rob Pelinka presented to Luka (Doncic) because I do know the Lakers made a call to the (Atlanta) Hawks around the trade deadline about (Onyeka) Okongwu.”
In 2024-25, a career season, Okongwu averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. He started in a career-high 40 games, a decision that was made in mid-January. He also shot 32.4 percent from 3, converting a career-high 48 attempts.
At 6-foot-8, he has inherent size concerns. In fact, the Hawks allowed 50.5 points in the paint per game in 2024-25, tied for 21st in the NBA. This was despite having a myriad of respectable-to-exceptional perimeter defenders. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old is a versatile and athletic big man capable of making a positive impact on a playoff contender.
With that in mind, the Lakers could still be motivated enough to make a reasonable offer for Okongwu.
Eeny, Meeny, Miny…
In their voided trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, the package included Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 first-round pick swap and their coveted 2031 first-round pick.
Reddish has since been waived but Hawks should find value in all of those pieces.
In Knecht, the Hawks would acquire a shooter who may be closer to Klay Thompson (offensively) than Zaccharie Risacher. Neither the Lakers can truly predict how well their team will look in 2030 or 2031. Even if Trae Young or Doncic are still on their respective teams, they’ll both be at least 30 years old. This adds to the importance of future drafts.
However, Okongwu will make $15 million in 2025-26 salary, and Atlanta would need an additional piece to match salaries.
It would behoove Los Angeles to offer Gabe Vincent as he’s the least potent of these options. Conversely, Atlanta has demonstrated interest in Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers have placed a high price tag on. On a value spectrum, Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura are between those two, making them more realistic targets.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Finney-Smith’s game is more refined than Hachimura’s, as he’s essentially an archetypal 3-and-D forward. At 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, the nine-year veteran is a career 36.2 percent 3-point shooter. He’s long held a reputation as one of the league’s better defenders as well, holding his own on the perimeter and the post.
Yet, Hachimura’s more dynamic.
Rui Hachimura
At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, there’s not an extreme size difference between Hachimura and Finney-Smith. Nevertheless, their games diverge significantly.
Though Hachimura is capable of playing a 3-and-D role, he’s at his best when allowed to operate as a three-level scorer. He’s a superb cutter, respectable in the midrange, and much improved beyond the arc. Furthermore, though he’s not a pass-first player by any means, he’s also shown his playmaking ability.
For the Hawks, Finney-Smith could be the more reasonable ask. Because of his age and the fact he’ll be on an expiring contract, the L.A. will likely still offer draft compensation. Furthermore, he allows them to replace Georges Niang —who’s in line to back up Jalen Johnson —with a more reliable defender.
With that in mind, Finney-Smith’s $15.4 million contract coming off Atlanta’s books in 2026 could help them be major players in free agency. Nonetheless, Hachimura’s a player who gives the Hawks more variation. He’s also more capable of playing a role akin to Johnson’s, which could matter whether the oft-injured forward is healthy or not.
Either way, trading Onyeka is worth considering, especially with a number of centers projected to be available in their draft range.
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