Atlanta Hawks discover themselves trapped in probably the most harmful territory of the NBA – mediocrity. The Hawks have turn out to be the poster workforce for perpetual potential that by no means materializes utterly. For years, they’ve hovered across the edges of discord, fueled by the trae Younger and a group of younger intriguing skills. Nevertheless, the promise of “what could possibly be” has not but translated as sustained success within the playoffs. The window to construct one thing actual round Trae is shrinking. As such, Hawks can not be content material to be simply good. They should be nice – and it means making troublesome choices, beginning this offseason.
One other early outing
The 2024-2025 marketing campaign was a irritating driving for Hawks followers. Atlanta completed the common season aged 40 to 42, successful a recreation event. That mentioned, they failed the playoffs after consecutive defeats in opposition to Orlando Magic and Miami Warmth. It was a season outlined by inconsistency and underperformance. In fact, there have been occasions that triggered hope. Trae Younger continued to dazzle together with his elite rating and his creation of video games, and Jalen Johnson emerged as a future cornerstone with improved protection and flexibility. Nevertheless, the workforce has by no means despatched it totally by submit. The faults had been simply as obvious – an opposing protection, a scarcity of cohesion and an id disaster that tormented all of them the season. The outcome? One other early outing and one other offset of inauspicious questions. The nucleus is just not damaged, however it doesn’t work as anticipated. And now Atlanta is held at a crossroads: preserve rolling on this treadmill of mediocrity or Shake the listing Within the pursuit of actual progress. A transfer is looming on this dialog – by traditioning ONYEKA OKONGWU.
Right here, we are going to talk about the one participant that the Atlanta Hawks should talk about when getting into the NBA 2025.
The case for buying and selling onyaka okongwu
ONYEKA OKONGWU has been a mannequin of professionalism and common progress because the Hawks drafted it sixth within the basic classification in 2020. He grew to become probably the most versatile males within the NBA. It’s cell sufficient to activate the protection, troublesome sufficient to bounce again and certified sufficient to complete across the edge. He collected on common 13.4 factors, 8.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per recreation in 2024-25. As such, Okongwu is quietly probably the most underestimated facilities within the league. He doesn’t want the ball to have an effect on the sport, and in a workforce with excessive -use stars, it’s an asset.
However that is additionally the issue.
Okongwu is nice. It’s too good to be a backup, however not ok to boost Atlanta in entrance of its present ceiling. Do not forget that Clint Capela remains to be set to heavy minutes sooner or later. Atlanta can be not keen to completely interact in a motion for younger individuals. With this, Okongwu’s function stays incoherent. The Hawks prolonged it final fall, the locking in an settlement value $ 15 million per 12 months from 2025-2026. It’s a whole lot for a giant 24 12 months previous together with his abilities. Nevertheless, if Atlanta actually needs to swing for fences, this settlement turns into much less a reward and extra a useful resource.
A star looking flea chip
Let’s not dance round him: Atlanta needs a star. Recall that the Hawks would have been excited by Kevin throughout February 6.
Right here is the place Okongwu suits. Other than Trae Younger, nobody on the listing of Hawks has extra industrial worth than Okongwu. Atlanta most likely considers Jalen Johnson to be untouchable, given his emergence as an attacker to do with a legit double -sense benefit. This leaves Okongwu as the primary industrial chip.
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A possible settlement of throughout, at this stage, turns into financially doable by combining the wage of $ 15 million from Okongwu with sure different gamers. Maybe they’ll think about guys as Kobe Bufkin and even Georges Niang. Such a mix may permit Atlanta to $ 40 million outgoing wage, which might take up through the settlement underneath the ABC correspondence guidelines. It’s a excessive -risk motion and a robust reward. Nevertheless, it’s the one who offers Atlanta an actual shot to leap into the elite of the Jap Convention.
Why now?
In fact, there’s a convincing basketball argument to maintain Okongwu. He’s younger, improves and presents manufacturing managed by prices. Alternatively, Atlanta not has the posh of persistence. The bottom of followers is stressed. The property has invested in a excessive value listing which has skilled a minimal of success within the playoffs. The Entrance Workplace has already began to reshape the listing round a nucleus wherein they consider – Younger, Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. The query is now whether or not they have the hearth energy to win within the playoffs.
The very fact is that Okongwu’s commerce is not going to be simple. He’s beloved within the locker room, and his benefit is at all times attractive. Nevertheless, Hawks want greater than stability – they want transformation. Ready for inside growth click on could seem cautious. That mentioned, that is additionally how the groups stay caught within the purgatory of the playoffs. In the event that they need to speed up the chronology and exert strain on the remainder of the Jap Convention, Okongwu is the type of half that strikes the needle in the primary industrial negotiations.
A final pivot
Ultimately, this offseason is just not solely to erase the logjams from the listing or to reverse the contracts. That is id. Are Hawks a workforce that wishes to compete – or a workforce that wishes to win? There’s a distinction. Opponents accumulate skills. Candidates consolidate it.
Onyaka Okongwu did every part that the franchise requested him, however the time has come to ask for one thing extra – being the centerpiece of an settlement that adjustments every part. The Atlanta entrance workplace should be aggressive, calculated and fearless of public backlash. As a result of if the Hawks actually need to transfer from the irritating intermediate stage to the legit competitor, the usual will merely not minimize it.
This may be uncomfortable, even unpopular. But when Atlanta needs to put in writing a brand new story in 2025, the primary chapter begins with a troublesome enterprise. And Okongwu, with out fault on his half, is the important thing to unlocking it.
