Atlanta Hawks Lose Out On Massive Center Target Before the Start of Free Agency

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be in the market for a center or two this offseason due to both Clint Capela and Larry Nance becoming unrestricted free agents. Onyeka Okongwu is the only center on the roster heading into the draft and free agency and how Atlanta plans to attack the position is unclear other than the fact that Capela is very unlikely to return.

One thing is for certain though, the Hawks won't fill the center position with Steven Adams. The Rockets center was set to hit free agency this summer and was rumored to be a target for the Hawks, but it was announced today that he was re-signing with the Rockets on a 3 year, $39 Million deal.

Just In: Houston Rockets center Steven Adams has agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension to stay with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. After playing a key rotation and leadership role in the Rockets' playoff run, the new deal keeps a top center out of free agency. pic.twitter.com/yWUnnQrRgh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 14, 2025

Adams would have been the perfect fit for the Hawks. He would have given them size, interior defense, and is one of the top rebounders in the NBA. His fit with Trae Young would have been seamless, but now the Hawks will have to look elsewhere to fill the position.

Could it be the draft? There have been multiple reports this week linking the Hawks to a potential trade up from No. 13 with a big man in mind.

NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein reported Thursday that the Hawks have indeed been exploring ways to move up and while they did not name Duke center Khaman Malauach, it seems the Hawks are indeed targeting a big man:

"We wrote yesterday that any word of Atlanta looking to package picks Nos. 13 and 22 to move up into the first round hadn't reached us yet.

Well ...

Since publishing those words, various sources have indicated that they do believe the Hawks will fall right in line with Oklahoma City, Orlando and Brooklyn as teams with multiple picks in the mid-to-late first round exploring various avenues to move up the draft board.

Rival teams have projected the Hawks as targeting big men with whatever draft slots they ultimately operate from. After years of dangling Clint Capela on the trade block, Capela is finally expected to depart Atlanta via free agency this season, sources say. So the Hawks appear poised to have an opening for a center."

You can read the full report here.

This move would make a ton of sense and if the Hawks were targeting Maluach, who makes the most sense for the way that their team is built, they would likely have to move in front of the Raptors at No. 9. The Raptors have been linked to Maluach and it seems that his floor is going to be the Raptors at No. 9. The Wizards (6), the Pelicans (7), and the Nets are in front of the Raptors. I don't think just packaging both of the Hawks picks is good enough to move up to six, so what would the cost be? Would they have to give up a future pick? Would Kobe Bufkin be on the table? Do the Hawks take back salary (Jordan Poole?) to get the deal done? That would complicate things, but moving up seven spots in the draft is going to be costly. The Hawks may just decide to stay put and see how the board falls.

If they did move up for Maluach, the fit is obvious. He would form a nice tandem with Onyeka Okongwu and give the Hawks needed interior size and defense. Okongwu is a very good player, but certain matchups are problematic for them and Maluach would help. His offensive game needs to gro, but playing alongside Trae Young would be very beneficial to him. He would be a rim-running threat and lob threat for Young and there is hope that he can develop an outside shot. He is still raw in many aspects, but the ceiling and fit make him an appealing target for Atlanta.

With less than two weeks to go until draft time, expect there to be plenty of rumors and chatter.

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