According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Hawks are hoping to move Clint Capela before his contract expires this offseason. Fischer added that Atlanta’s motivation to deal the veteran is their confidence in Onyeka Okongwu.
Capela is in the final year of his two-year, $45.8 million extension with Atlanta, making $22.27 million this season. Okongwu, a former lottery pick, is in the first season of a four-year, $62 million rookie scale extension. This really isn’t any new information, though.
“The Hawks are canvassing the trade market utilizing Clint Capela’s $22.3 million expiring contract for a rotational upgrade. Atlanta is in a position to become buyers only 2.5 games out of the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference,” Evan Sidery of Forbes reported.
Clint Capela has been mentioned in trade rumors for the past several seasons, but nothing has come to fruition at this point. As Fischer notes, Capela’s cap hit is a significant hurdle.
The veteran big man is on an expiring deal, though. If the Hawks have no intention of re-signing Capela, moving him before he walks for nothing could make some sense. With Onyeka Okongwu and Larry Nance Jr. in the fold, Capela could be seen as expendable.
Capela is averaging 10.2 points and 9.5 rebounds, anchoring Atlanta’s defense and attacking the offensive boards. He’s a high-quality center that can contribute on a championship team.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that I don’t see breaking up an elite center duo for a couple of second-round picks making a lot of sense. In that same breath, the Hawks aren’t winning anything this year. Clint Capela doesn’t match up with the timeline of the young core, so I could understand why Atlanta would move him.
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Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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