2024 NBA Offseason: Atlanta Center Labeled As A Player Who Has Been In The Same Place Too Long

Will the Hawks Look To Trade Clint Capela This Offseason?

Apr 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives to the basket while being guarded by Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) in the first half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports / Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports

Clint Capela has been a really good player for the Hawks since they acquired him in a trade in 2020. He was a huge piece to their Eastern Conference Finals Run a few seasons ago and is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA. However, it seems likely that the Hawks are going to look to move him this summer. He is on an expiring contract and the team can either draft his replacement with the No. 1 pick (Alex Sarr or Donovan Clingan) or let Onyeka Okongwu finally take over. It does not seem like Capela will be a Hawk for much longer, leading to Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes labeling him as a player who has been in the same place for too long:

"Whether the Atlanta Hawks institute a broader restructuring this offseason by trading Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela's stint with the team is likely nearing its conclusion.

It's been only four years since Atlanta onboarded Capela, who spent his first six seasons catching lobs from James Harden with the Houston Rockets. But with the 30-year-old center entering the final year of his contract amidst the possibility of a very different-looking Hawks team next season, the time for a change at the 5 seems right.

Capela's limited offensive game and general inability to pass or dribble—he has 657 career turnovers against 614 assists—matter less on a team where Young and Murray dominate the ball and initiate almost all of the offense. Either player's departure would create a more egalitarian offensive approach by default—one that could expose Capela's flaws and further diminish his value.

The Hawks haven't exactly projected confidence that Capela is a long-term solution. Onyeka Okongwu inked a four-year, $62 million extension last summer, and it's been hard to avoid the sense that Atlanta (and plenty of its fans) want the younger, more versatile big man to take over the first-unit gig. At the very least, the Hawks have to acknowledge that paying a combined $36.3 million in 2024-25 salary for two non-spacing centers is too much, particularly on a team that missed the playoffs this past year.

Capela is far from done as a starting-caliber contributor. He led the league in total offensive rebounds last year and has averaged a double-double in seven straight seasons. The Hawks should look to move him sooner than later, as his value will only decline as he becomes a shorter-term rental by the day."

Last month, NBA insider Mark Stein reported that the Atlanta Hawks center is "likely bound for the trade market" this offseason.

Even if the Hawks did not win the Draft Lottery, Capela was going to be discussed in trade rumors. The Hawks signed Oneyka Okongwu to an extension last offseason and might want to move him into a starter role for the future. Now that the Hawks have the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, they could take who many think is the best prospect in this draft, forward/center Alex Sarr. Atlanta has struggled on the defensive end of the floor for the past few seasons and lacks size, athleticism, and length, which Sarr brings in droves. He is 7'1, 220 LBS, and has a 7'4 wingspan. He uses his athleticism well and would be an impact guy on that end of the floor immediately. He is arguably the highest-ceiling prospect in the draft at a position of need for the Hawks.

Would he play center for the Hawks? Power forward? I think that is up for debate but if the Hawks take him, would that mean the likelihood of center Clint Capela being traded would go up? I think it would.

Capela has been awesome for the Hawks ever since they acquired him in February of 2020 for next to nothing in a four-team deal that involved the Hawks, Rockets, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. He should have gotten more love as a defensive player of the year candidate in the 2020-2021 season and has been the anchor for Atlanta on the defensive end, a place where they have struggled. He has been the perfect lob threat for Trae Young in the pick-and-roll and goes underappreciated amongst many for his impact on the team.

After the Hawks traded for Capela, they drafted Onyeka Okongwu with the No. 6 pick in 2020 and some thought that Capela would only be in Atlanta for a couple of seasons until Okongwu took over full-time. Not only has that not happened, but both players signed extensions with Atlanta. It does not make a lot of sense to have those two together on the team any longer and that was before the Hawks had the opportunity to take Sarr. Now that they can take a high-upside defensive prospect like Sarr, it makes even more sense to move Capela.

What kind of return could the Hawks get for Capela?

I would temper your expectations about the potential return if you are a Hawks fan. Capela is going into the last year of his deal and is not a big offensive threat. He had a bit of a down season in 2023-2024, compared to his usual level of play, but he still offers upside as a shot blocker and rebounder. You could see Capela packaged with another player in a deal.

Look out for teams like Oklahoma City, Memphis, and possibly New Orleans to be interested, as all of those teams have a need for a player like Capela. It could be a package of second-round picks sent to Atlanta or a possibly a rotational player.