Hawks ink Onyeka Okongwu to 4-year, $62M rookie extension

The Atlanta Hawks handed backup center Onyeka Okongwu a four-year, $62-million rookie-scale extension, his agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday.

The 6-foot-8 big man has been effective and efficient when on the floor for Atlanta since it drafted him sixth overall in 2020 out of USC. However, he’s started just 28 of his 178 appearances, with Clint Capela manning the paint for the Hawks.

Okongwu has career averages of 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game on 65.3% shooting from the field. He’s increased his scoring, rebounding, and minutes per contest in each season.

Those numbers jump to 10.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and two blocks per game when the 22-year-old is inserted into the starting lineup.

The Hawks still have Capela under contract for two more seasons, limiting Okongwu’s ability to take on a larger role at the 5. With the team shipping John Collins to the Utah Jazz in the offseason, Okongwu could see more time at forward.