The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. Cleveland has thus far been unwilling to move Allen, but if they ultimately decide to, Atlanta would conceivably provide them with a new starting center to take his place. Onyeka Okongwu would be the most likely candidate.
Though Okongwu is still something of a work in progress as a player, the Hawks would be putting Jalen Johnson's evolution at risk by swapping him out for Allen.
Allen is a tremendous talent and a former All-Star who thrives as a rim protector, rebounder, and interior scoring threat. As such, any critique of a potential trade would be centered around his fit in Atlanta rather than his quality as an individual player.
As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports, the Hawks don't appear to have much fear in that regard as they've been pursuing Allen "for some time."
"To answer a popular question in our Substack Chat room: Sources say that the Hawks have indeed made their interest in Jarrett Allen known to Cleveland for some time, but I'm told that Cleveland still has not entertained moving its starting center."
Johnson is one of the most complete players in the NBA, but the Hawks would be wise to cater to his strengths as his game continues to develop. Okongwu helps them do so.
Onyeka Okongwu is a better fit than Jarrett Allen next to Jalen Johnson
Johnson's growth as an individual player has been remarkable to witness. This past season, he earned All-NBA Third Team honors and averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per game on .489/.352/.788 shooting.
Okongwu played a significant part in Johnson's success, as his ability to space the floor, create for his teammates, and defend multiple positions took a significant amount of pressure off of him.
It wasn't always perfect, of course, but Okongwu made drastic changes to the way he plays in order to accommodate Johnson. For instance: He made nearly as many three-point field goals in 2025-26 (144) as he'd attempted in 2024-25 (148).
Okongwu didn't just shoot with volume, either. He buried 37.6 percent of his attempts. That undoubtedly helped Atlanta's spacing.
Allen, meanwhile, has made 20 three-point field goals through nine seasons and converted just 15 midrange shots in 2025-26. Perhaps he could experience a similar level of growth as Okongwu, but it was a multi-season endeavor for the incumbent.
Considering Allen is already 28 and making an average of $30,240,000 per season compared to Okongwu at $16.1 million in 2026-27 and $16.88 million in 2027-28, betting on an absolute uncertainty like the development of a currently non-existent outside shot is a tough sell.
Onyeka Okongwu made too much progress in 2025-26 to give up now
Furthermore, though Johnson has come a long way, he still has holes in his game. For instance: He shot 29.6 percent on 1.5 pull-up threes per game. He also averaged a woeful 0.78 points per isolation possession—the sixth-lowest mark of any player who attempted at least 1.0 isolation field goals per game.
Johnson thus built his success as a scorer by shooting 39.9 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, and averaging 13.2 drives per game and 1.21 points per transition possession.
Okongwu's ability to space the floor helped create driving lanes for Johnson to exploit. His sacrifice of going from 7.7 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes in 2024-25 to 6.6 in 2025-26 helped Johnson set a career high in the same area and thus get out in transition quicker.
Okongwu's passing, meanwhile, played a signature part in Johnson's success as a catch-and-shoot specialist. Only Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker assisted more of Johnson's field goals than Okongwu.
Perhaps Allen could make adjustments to his own game and complement Johnson in the way Okongwu has been able to. In doing so, his other strengths would be magnified and the Hawks could potentially take a step forward as a team.
Until Allen proves that he can help space the floor and create more open looks for his teammates, however, the Hawks can't justify paying nearly twice as much money than they're giving Okongwu when the fit is imperfect at best.
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