The Atlanta Hawks didn't stop with their acquisition of Jeff Teague, swinging big and acquiring center Clint Capela from the Houston Rockets in a four-team, 12-player trade on Tuesday night.
Hawks star Trae Young expressed some true hype about the acquisition, noting he has already exchanged some pleasantries with the newcomer:
“Getting Clint, it's big-time,” said Young, according to Sarah Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I already shot him a text and talked to him. I'm excited about getting him.”
Capela is a strong rebounder who can catch lobs from Young, coupled with his defensive prowess. His presence at the rim at both ends will allow forward John Collins to venture to the perimeter and stray away from playing at center, a position for which he has proved undersized. Young is excited about the defense Capela will provide the Hawks:
“There's been times late in games where we just couldn't get a stop,” said Young, referencing Capela's rim protection. “All we needed was one stop. Having (Capela) makes our defense that much better.”
Capela, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound big man, is averaging 13.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game this season — numbers that will surely come in handy as the Hawks try to accelerate this rebuild.
The 25-year-old still has three more years left on a five-year, $90 million deal he signed in 2018. He will be owed $16-, $17- and $18 million for the next three seasons, respectively.
According to prior reports, the Hawks honed in on Capela as a cheaper alternative than extending Collins would be in the long run. We'll see if Atlanta looks to move Collins or if the decision is made to actually pay him.
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