Hawks' Okongwu out roughly 6 months after shoulder surgery

Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu is expected to be sidelined for the next six months after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced.

Okongwu suffered the injury in May, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The sixth overall pick of the 2020 draft averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12 minutes per game this past season, predominantly serving as the primary backup to starting center Clint Capela.

Okongwu, 20, appeared in every game during the Hawks' surprising postseason run to the Eastern Conference finals; he logged 12 minutes in Atlanta's season-ending loss to the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in July.

NBA training camps open Sept. 28 ahead of an Oct. 19 opening night, returning the league to its traditional October-June calendar following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okongwu's recovery timeline suggests he could rejoin the Hawks' lineup in mid-January.