The Los Angeles Lakers have a glaring hole on their roster. After trading for Luka Dončić this season, they found themselves without a quality big man to protect the rim and punish teams down low. They tried to fix that hole with Mark Williams, but the trade didn’t go through due to Williams’ failed physical.
Though Williams never made it to Los Angeles, a recent report surrounding another name that the Lakers were interested in at the same time fell through as well -- could he be a target this summer?
ESPN's Dave McMenamin spoke on the “Straight Fire” with Jason McIntyre podcast, revealing that Williams wasn’t the only center the Lakers were interested in last season.
“I do know the Lakers made a call to the (Atlanta) Hawks around the trade deadline about (Onyeka) Okongwu. I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though,” said McMenamin.
If the Lakers looked at trading for Okongwu last season, they could be considering it again this offseason.
The question is, is a Lakers-Okongwu trade realistic?
Unfortunately for the Lakers, probably not. To pull off the trade, the Lakers will likely have to give up more than Dalton Knecht and a little bit of draft capital.
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The Atlanta Hawks have a young team, and Okongwu has proven himself as a potential key piece to build their future around. Okongwu had career highs in points, rebounds, and assists last season.
With the Eastern Conference seeming as wide open as ever, it is unlikely the Hawks will let Okongwu go without getting a lot back in return. The Lakers don’t have a ton of trade assets to give back, making this Lakers trade rumor quite unlikely.
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