The LA Lakers are desperate to add size to the roster after their season fell flat in the first round of the playoffs.
Within minutes of the LA Lakers‘ elimination in the NBA Playoffs, Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams mocked their exit, via social media.
While reaction to his jibe was divided, you could understand his emotions. The Lakers traded for Mark Williams at the trade deadline, before rescinding a deal following a medical.
The move came amid days of frantic activity after trading for Luka Doncic. The Lakers targeted Williams, and chose wrongly, entering the playoffs without a recognized center.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty ImagesLA Lakers enquired over Onyeka Okongwu
It has now been revealed that the LA Lakers made an enquiry for another player before settling on Mark Williams.
ESPN insider Dave McMenamin claims he knows the Lakers checked in with the Atlanta Hawks over Onyeka Okongwu.
McMenamin told the Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre podcast: “Before the Mark Williams trade, and I can’t tell you all the names on that list, but I actually assume he was one of the names on the list that Rob Pelinka presented to Luka because I do know the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about Okongwu.”
Okongwu is in the same age profile as Williams, 24-years-old, he entered the league as the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft.
This saw Williams selected six spots ahead of 12th overall pick Tyrese Haliburton, the breakout star of the NBA Playoffs with the Indiana Pacers.
.What could Onyeka Okongwu bring to the LA Lakers
The details of the call made between the Lakers and Hawks are unclear, but evidently Atlanta were reluctant to lose the center midseason, having traded away De’Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
McMenamin added of Okongwu: “I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though.”
Data shows Okongwu averaged 13.4 points last season and 8.9 rebounds. He also contributed 28 double-doubles. He managed to shoot a strong 57 percent from the field.
Okongwu is not the finished product, yet at 24, he would be a good age to grow and develop with Luka Doncic, and playing with the Slovenian has been proven to help centers increase their production.
Rob Pelinka has promised to address the Lakers’ deficiencies this offseason, and it would not be a surprise if he checked in with the Hawks to gauge the price on Okongwu.