Onyeka Okongwu now the subject of trade rumors

On the surface, it makes a bit of sense. Onyeka Okongwu proved he is one hundred percent ready to start at the NBA level last year. He’s a better defender and rebounder than Porzingis, and really showed signs of coming into his own offensively as well, averaging 13.4 points on 56.7% shooting from the field. Having two starting caliber centers might seem like overkill.

However, I don’t see the Hawks taking many of these offers seriously unless a lot of assets are coming back in return. Porzingis’ skill set allows for him to share the floor with Okongwu at any time, and there are plenty of minutes to go around in the frontcourt for Jalen Johnson, Porzingis, and Okongwu.

Additionally, Johnson and Porzingis don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to injuries. Johnson is coming off a season-ending injury and has played more than 56 games just once in his four-year career. Porzingis has only played more than 65 games once in his ten-year career and is coming off a season in which he appeared in just 42 games for the Boston Celtics.

Porzingis also isn’t a long-term fixture in Atlanta, at least not right now, as he enters the final year of his contract. Perhaps the experiment goes splendidly and the Hawks ink him to a long-term deal in the future, but with Okongwu on such a team-friendly contract, there’s absolutely no reason to move him right now unless the return is extraordinarily fruitful.