It's no secret that the Atlanta Hawks need to upgrade their frontcourt this summer, particularly at the center position. The New York Knicks were able to dominate Atlanta down low over the course of their first-round battle, continuing an unfortunate trend that had developed as the season progressed.
Jock Landale was out with a right high-ankle sprain for the entirety of the series, so that certainly didn't push anything in the Hawks' favor, but even if he was healthy, the Knicks likely still would've dominated similarly.
Atlanta wants to bring Landale back, but they also want to improve significantly. If they play their cards right, they could do both, but it would come at the cost of some rotation minutes.
There's no harm in rostering three capable big men
And yes, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Atlanta Hawks "hope to retain center Landale in free agency," but several other teams are "expected to express interest" in his services as well. It makes sense. Landale is a quality rotational big.
If the Hawks bring back Landale, and also hold on to Onyeka Okongwu, then how can they actually improve down low?
Well, first of all, health is wealth. It wasn't a perfect center room, by any means, but when both Okongwu and Landale were playing, the Hawks were a better team. There's just a valid question about how high that tandem's ceiling truly is.
Atlanta is still expected to be in the market for the top centers soon to hit free agency - both restricted and unrestricted - and it would force them to make some key rotational decisions if they elected to bring one of them in.
Isaiah Hartenstein, or Walker Kessler, would take over as the starting center if either of them were to sign with the Hawks. This would send Okongwu back to the second-unit, pushing Landale all the way to the third. Maybe, though, they wouldn't hold on to everybody.
Some sacrifices would likely have to be made in order to adjust
The obvious fix would be to let Landale walk in free agency, but maybe Okongwu and his camp simply don't want to be a backup again. Several teams are expected to be in the market for a new starting center, meaning if Atlanta were to shop Okongwu in any way, he would have a world of potential suitors.
Losing Okongwu would definitely hurt, but maybe it would be for the greater good. Or, Atlanta simply runs it back - avoiding the top available options at their position in desperate need of improvement.
That would come with plenty of pushback, considering the Hawks could also go after Michigan's Aday Mara in the upcoming draft.
The Hawks have options.
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