Onyeka Okongwu went from starting more than half of the games he played last season (40 of 74) for the Atlanta Hawks to potentially being one of the best backup bigs in the league after they acquired Kristaps Porzingis via a three-team trade. Porzingis, as long as he's healthy, is the Hawks' new starting center.
Okongwu averaged 15 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game for Atlanta as a starter in his most productive season yet.
He will be in the starting lineup at times next season. It's not a matter of 'if,' but 'when.' Porzingis hasn't played more than 72 games in a season, and that happened when he was a rookie in 2015-16. He played only 42 games last season, missing a chunk of time due to a mystery injury.
Fans are rightfully excited about what Porzingis can be in Atlanta. Everyone saw how he changed things for Boston as a stretch five when he was on the floor, helping them win a title in 2024. He'll undoubtedly elevate the Hawks' starting lineup, but it's unfortunate for Okongwu that it means he'll have to move back to the bench.
Onyeka Okongwu is the best backup center in the league
Okongwu is undersized for a center at six-foot-ten (Porzingis is seven-foot-two), but his versatility helped him make the most of the starting opportunity after the Hawks reduced Clint Capela's role.
His rebounding, passing, shooting, and overall feel for the game improved as he got more comfortable. His aggressiveness in taking more threes (and hitting them) was notable, but he doesn't compare to the three-point shooter that Porzingis is.
Timing didn't line up in Okongwu's favor. After years of Capela's name popping up non-stop in trade rumors, he's no longer in Atlanta after signing with Houston in free agency, but the Hawks wasted no time finding his replacement. They couldn't pass up the opportunity to get KP. The Celtics needed to shed salary, and trading Porzingis was a given.
Okongwu will still play a big role for the Hawks after having a career season in 2024-25. He could end up playing more minutes than Porzingis in some games where they both play due to load management. Okongwu will be a starter occasionally, but hopefully not more than that, because it'd mean KP is hurt.
The Hawks had one of the best offseasons in the league, boosting their chances of making a deep playoff run in a weakened conference. Trading for Porzingis was a good move, even more so because Atlanta knows it has Okongwu on the bench if anything goes wrong.