Lakers Might Have Perfect Trade Target in Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu amid Latest NBA Rumors

The fact that the Los Angeles Lakers need center help is no secret. L.A. managed to claim the No. 3 seed in the West but repeatedly struggled inside during its losing playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Of course, the Lakers knew they needed an upgrade or at least another option at center well before the postseason. Rob Pelinka tried to get one before the trade deadline by dealing for Mark Williams of the Charlotte Hornets. However, L.A. rescinded the trade after Williams failed a team physical.

So, the Lakers' new duo of LeBron James and Luka Dončić was good enough to carry Los Angeles into the postseason but not very deep. Both will presumably be a part of the roster this coming season—though James has a player option—so adding a center remains the top priority.

Specifically, finding one who meshes with Dončić and Los Angeles' timeline for the 26-year-old has to be priority No. 1.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported after L.A.'s playoff exit that the push for Williams was given the green light by Dončić:

"Williams was Dončić's preferred lob partner out of a list of potential trade targets and told the team so, sources said, after Doncic had been so effective with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas," McMenamin wrote.

More recently, McMenamin reported that Charlotte wasn't the first team that L.A. called to inquire about center help.

"I do know the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about [Onyeka] Okongwu," McMenamin told Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre (h/t Jackson Caudell of SI.com). "I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though."

The Lakers probably aren't going to find a perfect fit at center this offseason. They don't have a ton of financial flexibility and have few truly enticing trade chips outside of Austin Reaves.

And Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported back on May 15 that L.A. won't be interested in trading Reaves for anything less than a legitimate star.

Okongwu might be the closest thing to a perfect fit that L.A. can realistically add this season. He has the size (6'10") and play strength that the Lakers need inside defensively, and he can be a solid lob partner for Dončić offensively.

Perhaps more importantly, Okongwu has a reasonable contract ($15 million next season) and will turn just 25 in December. It wouldn't be ridiculously difficult to make it work financially with Okongwu, and he's young enough to serve as a long-term roster piece alongside Dončić.

Of course, what we don't know is exactly why a deal with Okongwu didn't get done. Pelinka presumably offered something similar to what was on the table for Williams—Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap. Did GM Landry Fields find the offer too low, prefer to keep Okongwu or simply not find Knecht and/or Reddish to be franchise fits? We don't know. What we do know is that Fields was fired in April.

Atlanta promoted assistant GM Onsi Saleh to the general manager role and is currently searching for a new President of Basketball Operations. It would behoove the Lakers to contact the Hawks' new front office this offseason to see if Okongwu can be had.

There's no guarantee that the Hawks will be willing to deal. However, a new front office might mean a new direction for the franchise, new thoughts on the roster, and an open path to the Lakers finding their center.