New Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela has played with some generational playmakers in his time. After all, he did spend the majority of this season suiting up alongside James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
However, Capela is excited at the prospect of catching lobs from Hawks star point guard Trae Young, who ranks second in the NBA at 9.0 assists per game. The Swiss big man said he and Young can make “magic” happen:
Clint Capela on getting to play with Trae Young: "We definitely should be able to do some magic together."
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) February 9, 2020
The Hawks became more aggressive in their pursuit of Capela in the days leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. They had previously shown interest in Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, but those talks fell apart early in January.
Things picked up steam once again when the Rockets began shopping Capela with a number of Eastern Conference teams. The Hawks were able to nab Capela as part of a four-team deal, parting ways with swingman Evan Turner while also giving up a 2020 first-round pick (via Brooklyn Nets) and a 2024 second-round pick (via Golden State Warriors).
Clint Capela and Trae Young should indeed make for an interesting big-little duo. Capela had tons of success filling the lane and catching lobs from Harden and Houston, and he figures to do the same with Young whose court vision is as good as any player in the NBA.
The 25-year-old center will also team up with forward John Collins to form what might be one of the most promising frontcourts in the NBA. Collins is an athletic beast who has begun to expand his game to the perimeter, which could open up the paint for Capela to operate and carve out space.
Regardless, “magic” is on the horizon for the Hawks, according to Capela.
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