If there is any area of need that the New York Knicks need to fill as soon as possible, it would be at their center position. Isaiah Hartenstein leaving the Tom Thibodeau and Jalen Brunson-led system left a big vacuum in the middle of their schemes. So, it looks like some sort of move was in place to patch it up. Funnily enough, it sounds like the front office checked with a rival team the Atlanta Hawks. Who did they inquire about? It is none other than Trae Young's favorite lob threat, Clint Capela.
You heard that right! The Knicks considered acquiring Clint Capela from the Hawks, per Ian Begley of SNY. However, Jalen Brunson and Tom Thibodeau would have most likely given up their own man in the middle in order to complete the package.
“I will say that Clint Capela in Atlanta was one big that the Knicks checked in on. I don’t know how far the talks went, I don’t know if they’re active at this very moment. But they did check in on Capela. You can infer that Mitchell Robinson would have probably been in that trade because Capela is a starting center. Or, maybe the Knicks could have said Robinson and Capela could be our platoon at center this season. Nonetheless, Capela has a higher salary and is a veteran center that they did check in on,” he said.
With this move unlikely to happen because of the huge cost the Hawks center would give, the Knicks are probably going to bank on getting some other big man to reinforce their frontcourt.
“The most likely scenario is the Knicks add a backup center and they go into training camp with this group as-is. They have been active in some trade talks earlier in the offseason. Nothing has happened to date but there's still a couple of months before training camp,” Begley concluded.
The Knicks big man situation
Acting swiftly but wisely when it comes to acquiring a center will be crucial for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks front office. They need someone to take on the backup role because Mitchell Robinson is coming off an injury-riddled year. Their depth at the center position might spell their doom. As of the moment, only Jericho Sims can help substantially given that Julius Randle is also coming off an injury while Ariel Hukporti has not been tested in an NBA court.
If they do choose to pursue Capela, the choice would not at all be bad. He played 73 games alongside Trae Young and the Hawks last season which is a great sign when it comes to his fatigue management. Moreover, he will give the Knicks exactly what they need on the inside. His shots find the bottom of the net 57.1% of the time which gives him 11.5 points a night. Capela also knows his way around the boards well which is why he averages a double-double with his 10.6 rebounds around a shooter like Trae Young. Lastly, he also provides 1.5 blocks per game which the Knicks could really use down the line.
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