NBA Mock Trade: Hornets grab a center after moving on from Mark Williams

With Mark Williams now on the Los Angeles Lakers and Nick Richards on the Phoenix Suns, the Charlotte Hornets suddenly have a major gap at center. It was once a bit of a logjam with Williams, Richards, Grant Williams (now out for the year with a torn ACL), and Moussa Diabate, but now there's no depth, and Diabate is a little undersized as it is.

The Hornets have a few hours to fix this before the trade deadline. Fortunately, there's a perfect opportunity out there to get a big man the Hornets can not only use this season but one the Hornets can see if they are a long-term fit.

The Hornets should be looking at Onyeka Okongwu. He's playing lights-out right now, but he's 24 and in a deep frontcourt in Atlanta. The Atlanta Hawks would probably prefer to move off of Clint Capela rather than Okongwu, so the Hornets will likely have to pay.

They can package Josh Green and three second-round picks (2026 via DEN, 2029 via PHX, and 2031 via DEN) to get Okongwu. He's young enough to fit the window with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, and he's a little bigger than Diabate down low.

The Hornets have a wealth of tradeable second-round picks to use, so this can be done. The picks might be valuable, but Okongwu is a known entity, and he's one the Hornets desperately need now after trading Mark Williams.

Neither Okongwu nor Diabate can replace the length and size Williams had, but this move does give them a better frontcourt than they have now. The Hawks get some picks for the future and a three-and-D player to help make a playoff push in the East.

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