NBA Mock Draft leading up to the Knicks selecting 8th overall

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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 27: Onyeka Okongwu #21 of the USC Trojans acknowledges the crowd after defeating the Arizona Wildcats 57-48 at Galen Center on February 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

6. Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu, F/C, USC

There are few teams who will enter the offseason with as much cap flexibility as the New York Knicks, but the Atlanta Hawks are one of them. Flush with as much as $43 million in cap space (depending on where the cap officially lands), Atlanta will have options to improve their roster on the open market.

But before they get to free agency, they have a decision to make with the sixth overall pick.

And with several point guards coming into view around this range in the lottery, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu might be the best bet for a team that already has Trae Young running the lead guard position.

Sure, Atlanta has Clint Capela and John Collins, but with the versatility of Okongwu, he can come off the bench and play alongside either frontcourt player and give Atlanta depth up front.

As a 6-foot-9 forward who can play up in size, he can learn the intricacies of rim running from Capela, while offering his own value as a shot-blocker on the other end of the floor.

If Okongwu is on the board at six, he is an extremely high value pick for Atlanta.

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