Onyeka Okongwu is about to hit a key contract checkpoint, and the Hawks have a real decision to make.
Beginning October 1, Okongwu becomes eligible for an extension. He’s currently in the penultimate year of his four-year, $61.8 million deal, with $16,100,000 owed in 2026-27 and a $16,880,000 salary in the final season. Over those two years, he’ll be making less than 10% of the salary cap, which makes the current contract look like a steal.
That’s why the Hawks have a chance to get ahead of the market. If Okongwu reaches free agency after the 2027-28 season, there should be plenty of teams ready to chase him. Quality centers are tough to find, and Okongwu backed up the idea that he can perform as an above-average one last season.
There’s a case for Atlanta to move quickly and reward that growth with a new deal as soon as he’s eligible. Okongwu might prefer to wait and see how much more he can command, but if the Hawks lock him in before he even gets to free agency, they could keep the roster on a manageable financial track.
The question is what a fair number actually looks like.
Okongwu’s path hasn’t been perfectly smooth, but at 25, he’s now started 1.5 seasons for Atlanta and just put together the best year of his career. He averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 48/37.6/75.7 last season.
What makes him tricky to price is that he doesn’t fit neatly into one box. He’s not just a bruising seven-footer living on the glass and in the paint, and he’s not an elite perimeter marksman in the Karl-Anthony Towns or Victor Wembanyama mold either.
Still, he offers a little of both. He hit 37.6% of his threes on 5.2 attempts per game, and his defensive rebounding rate of 18.4% ranked in the 84th percentile among centers.
He also finished at a respectable 68.6% at the rim, a number that could climb as he settles further into his role.
Atlanta may also be in a better spot to keep him fresh next season with Zuby Ejiofor, Jock Landale and likely Asa Newell added to the rotation for a full year.
Even with his size limitations, Okongwu has shown he can handle bigger matchups. He limited Donovan Clingan to 13.9 points per game on 64.4 TS% across 81 possessions, and he drew the assignment on Karl-Anthony Towns for 157 possessions in the playoffs. Towns still got his, but Okongwu being able to survive that matchup - especially when he was basically Atlanta’s only realistic option there - stood out.
His passing is another part of the profile that deserves more attention. Okongwu posted a career-best 13.9% AST% and averaged 6.9 potential assists per 100 possessions, which landed in the 66th percentile. When he did create looks for teammates, those shots were going in at a high rate, with teammates hitting 87% of the attempts he assisted on, good for the 91st percentile.
Put it all together, and he looks like a player worth paying in a serious range. A fair target for Atlanta would be something close to the Myles Turner deal: four years and $105-110 million.
Turner still has the edge in shot-blocking and three-point volume and has a longer track record as one of the five best three-point shooters among seven-footers. But Okongwu’s passing and room to grow give him a real argument to push beyond that number.
For Okongwu, there isn’t much incentive to rush unless the Hawks come in above $110 million this winter. If he gets another strong season as the clear starter, an All-Star berth next season isn’t out of the question, and that would only drive his price higher. In that sense, waiting could be the smarter move.
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