The offseason started last Friday night for the Atlanta Hawks after their loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament and it has already been an eventful couple of weeks.
Just two days after he gave an exit interview and met with the media, Atlanta fired former GM Landry Fields and promoted Onsi Saleh to the position while also announcing they were beginning a search for a president of basketball operations. This is a big offseason for the Hawks and Saleh is going to play a big part in shaping it, along with the new president of basketball operations (if one is hired).
So how will the Hawks try and manage this offseason? A lot of questions about the Hawks are going to surround Trae Young and his status, but it looks like he is going to stay put for now.
Per @TheSteinLine:
“The clearest possible read on Young’s future with the Hawks will be easier to pinpoint with certainty once they secure a new lead decision-maker in the front office to replace the ousted Landry Fields, but talk of potential Young trades has undeniably faded… pic.twitter.com/ieZGIXmklS
— Hawks Lead (@HawksLead) April 27, 2025
Could there be other Hawks on the move? A recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report analyst Andy Bailey has the Hawks moving center Onyeka Okongwu to Golden State:
Kevon Looney and Jonathan Kuminga for Onyeka Okongwu
“Despite averaging 15.8 points over the last two seasons, Jonathan Kuminga had been completely excised from the Golden State Warriors’ playoff rotation before Jimmy Butler’s injury put him back in the mix.
Even if the 22-year-old plays well in this new opportunity, it seems clear he’s not a part of Golden State’s future plans. So, if the Warriors could just dodge his restricted free agency altogether and get a starting-caliber center on a reasonable deal in the process, they should probably do it.
Onyeka Okongwu would make lineups with Draymond Green and Butler a nightmare to score on. And though he’s not prime Andrew Bogut or anything, Okongwu is a solid and willing passer who could fit Golden State’s offensive philosophy, too.
It might be hard to pry him from the Hawks without giving up draft consideration, but Kuminga still has a ton of potential as a multi-positional forward with top-tier athleticism. And he’s somehow two years younger than Okongwu.
A forward/wing platoon with Kuminga, Risacher, Johnson and Daniels could be one of the most intriguing in the league.
To put it nicely, this would be an awful trade for the Hawks.
Okongwu finally got a chance to step into the starting role for the Hawks in January and played really well. Both defensively and offensively, Okongwu looked like the center for the Hawks going into the future along with the core of Dyson Daniels, Trae Young, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson. Okongwu is also on a great contract, with three years and $47.8M left on it. For a good starting center, that is an incredible contract that the Hawks would be foolish to give up.
Kuminga is an interesting player, who fell out of the rotation until the recent Jimmy Butler injury. He averaged 15.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 2.2 APG on 45% shooting from the field and 31% from three, both down from the previous years. Atlanta would have to give Kuminga a big extenion, one that I don’t think he is worth, while also not having a starting caliber center. Kuminga would be an interesting addition to the Hawks supporting cast around Trae Young, but for what his future contract would be plus giving up a great value in Okongwu, this would be a terrible trade for the Hawks that they should not conisder.
New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Kevin Durant to the Heat, Hawks Land Versatile Defender
2024-2025 Atlanta Hawks Season Grades: Clint Capela
2024-2025 Atlanta Hawks Season Grades: Dyson Daniels
