Atlanta has made its interest in Jarrett Allen known to Cleveland. But with Onyeka Okongwu already spacing the floor, the fit is worse than it looks.
The list of big-name players the Atlanta Hawks have been linked to this summer is long. With the latest rumors connecting them to Jarrett Allen, the list is getting longer. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported Monday that Atlanta has made its interest in Allen known to the Cleveland Cavaliers for some time, though Cleveland has not entertained moving its starting center.
We've seen Atlanta linked to Jaylen Brown, Trey Murphy III, Peyton Watson, and others. The Hawks are a young, competitive team with some assets to throw around. It makes sense that fans and analysts alike would peg them as a candidate to make a big-name acquisition.
But Allen might make more sense than some.
Hawks Could Make Use of Jarrett Allen
Allen is among the best defensive big men in the NBA. He's listed at 6-foot-9, but he plays much bigger with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Allen is strong enough to hold his own on the interior, but agile enough to defend in space to some extent if necessary.
Offensively, Allen is limited, but he's elite at what he does, which is finish around the rim. He shot 63.8% from the field last season across 56 games, averaging 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 27.1 minutes. Allen is among the league's best pick-and-roll finishers as well.
Overall, he's a highly impactful player. Yet, some could be concerned about those offensive limitations. Allen does not space the floor.
So why should the Hawks acquire him when they have a big man who can?
Allen Could Step on Onyeka Okongwu's Toes
Okongwu is widely viewed as undersized, but he's actually listed at 6-foot-10. Still, his 7-foot-2 wingspan is much less than Allen's.
Okongwu isn't as broadly impactful on defense, but his switchability is better. That said, the biggest difference between them comes on the offensive end. Allen is a non-shooter, and Okongwu hit 37.6% from 3-point range in 2025-26.
For a team that rosters Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson, that matters a lot. The Hawks' spacing would suffer with Allen in the fold, and acquiring him is arguably superfluous with Okongwu in the mix.
Hawks Should Stick With What They Have
It wouldn't be the worst decision.
Presumably, Allen would come by way of a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade. If Atlanta only had to attach one future first, that would be a positive trade for them.
Moreover, Okongwu is a combo big who could still find roughly 30 minutes per game off the bench with Allen in the starting lineup. So, the acquisition could make some sense.
And yet...
Can the Hawks play Johnson, Daniels, and Allen at the same time in the postseason? If not, rostering Allen doesn't seem worth the trouble. Okongwu is a perfect fit alongside Atlanta's wings. There's no reason to make such a structural change.
Which has felt like the conclusion for most of the Hawks' big targets.
