The Golden State Warriors may no longer have any interest in a trade for Anthony Davis before next month's deadline, but the Atlanta Hawks continued pursuit of the 10x All-Star could gift them a sneaky target to chase in the coming weeks.
The Warriors could do with a center upgrade before the deadline, and perhaps Atlanta's interest in Davis makes young big man Onyeka Okongwu expendable enough for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office to swoop in and take advantage.
Warriors should look at trade for Onyeka Okongwu
While Okonwgu is averaging a career-high 32 minutes per game with the Hawks this season, there has been some trade buzz on the 25-year-old in a recent report from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line last week.
"I was told this week, for example, that Indiana has called Atlanta on Onyeka Okongwu in addition to its previously reported interest in players such as Dallas' Daniel Gafford and the (perceived as much harder-to-get) Ivica Zubac of the LA Clippers," Fischer wrote.
There hasn't been anything linking Okongwu to Golden State specifically, but if he's at all available then that's a call that the front office needs to be making. Okonwgu is averaging a career-high 16.4 points this season, while also adding 7.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 31 starts for the Hawks.
Perhaps most importantly, the sixth-year big man has made himself a respectable 3-point shooter this season, drilling 36.4% on over five attempts per game. Such a development is critical to a team like the Warriors who still need floor spacing in the frontcourt alongside the veteran duo of Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
That's exactly why Steve Kerr has remained with second-year big Quinten Post in the starting lineup, though his still limited minutes proves the head coach still doesn't fully trust in the 25-year-old. Okongwu would provide an instant upgrade at the center spot, and perhaps his 3-point shooting numbers are real enough for him to play big minutes alongside Butler and Green.
Okongwu is making $15 million this season on the second of a team-friendly four-year, $62 million contract. That puts him easily in the price range of a Jonathan Kuminga trade -- could the Warriors capitalize on the Mavericks interest in their young forward?
There is the framework of a three-team trade that would land Davis with the Hawks, Kuminga and other salary with the Mavericks, and Okongwu to the Warriors. It's not the sort of huge move some Golden State fans may want, but it could be an incredibly underrated deal that delivers significant impact nonetheless.