The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. Up to this point, however, the Cavaliers have not expressed interest in moving their All-Star big man. Though it’s understandable for Cleveland to be reluctant to trade Allen, negotiating with the Hawks could mean landing Onyeka Okongwu—a player who would otherwise be pushed to Atlanta's second unit.
In the event that the Cavaliers could acquire Okongwu, then they should seriously consider doing so due to his skill set being tailor made for pushing Evan Mobley to the next level.
Allen is a nightly double-double threat whose defense, finishing, and rebounding have proven essential. What Okongwu brings to the table, however, is a different skill set that may be better suited to pushing Mobley out of his comfort zone and into a more assertive mentality.
Unfortunately, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (https://marcstein.substack.com/p/even-more-late-night-nba-intel-albeit) recently reported that the Cavaliers haven’t yet entertained the Hawks’ interest in Allen.
"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.”
The Cavaliers would be well within their rights to decline a trade offer from the Hawks, but they should give serious consideration to a deal if Okongwu is involved.
Onyeka Okongwu's versatility can take pressure off of Evan Mobley
While Allen is an interior-based big who thrives in a traditional manner, Okongwu has become the epitome of a modern big. Despite converting just 75 threes through his first five seasons, he buried 144 on 37.6 percent shooting during a 2025-26 campaign that saw him take a massive step forward as an all-around player.
As a 3-and-D big, Okongwu can stretch the floor to permit Mobley to score more inside and Donovan Mitchell to have even wider driving lanes to exploit.
Furthermore, Okongwu is one of the better passing big men south of the Nikola Jokic line. He averaged 3.6 assists per 36 minutes this past season and looked comfortable operating from multiple areas of the floor as a playmaker despite fellow big Jalen Johnson often running the offense from the 4.
Okongwu is also a proven force on the glass who averaged 4.0 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes between his first five seasons. If the Cavaliers need him to return to that playing style, he conceivably could.
Onyeka Okongwu would give Cavaliers flexibility on and off the court
That adaptability is exactly what the Cavaliers should be looking to feature alongside Mobley and Mitchell. Allen is a fantastic talent, of course, but the modern era rewards teams that can roll out lineups with five players who can pass, dribble, and shoot—and Okongwu would complete Cleveland’s evolution in that regard while still possessing untapped potential at 25 years of age.
On the other end of the floor, Okongwu’s versatility and mobility enable him to work along the perimeter and interior alike, as well as blow up the pick and roll. In turn, Mobley could conserve more energy on defense while maintaining an elite presence and thus have the energy to offer more on offense.
That would ideally result in Mobley asserting himself more as a scorer with the added benefit a floor-spacing big who can create offense for him playing next to him.
Furthermore, Okongwu will make $32,980,000 over the next two seasons compared to Allen’s $58,240,000. That would create a significant degree of financial flexibility that Cleveland could utilize to add to its rotation and perhaps even improve its scoring depth.
It must be reiterated that there’s good reason to keep Allen in Cleveland, but if trading with the Hawks would bring Okongwu aboard, it’s well worth a look.
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