With the NBA trade deadline in just about three weeks, the Atlanta Hawks are inching closer to making significant roster changes. Former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray has been a hot topic of trade discussions in recent weeks, with the league-wide expectations being that his time in Atlanta is coming to an end. Along with Murray, Clint Capela has become another key name to watch in trade rumors pertaining to the Hawks.
Following their loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday, league sources told ClutchPoints that the Hawks have become “increasingly motivated” to find a trade partner for the veteran center this season. Capela, who is in the midst of his 10th NBA season — fourth in Atlanta — heard his name come up in trade rumors during the offseason.
After the Dallas Mavericks heavily pursued the 29-year-old center during the summer, and at one point believed they were going to acquire him, the Hawks decided to back out of negotiations and keep Capela on their roster. The hope in Atlanta at the time was that the team would be able to right their wrongs from last season. Now, that mindset has changed ahead of the trade deadline.
Trade suitors for Clint Capela
Frustrations stemming from their lack of success continue to mount in Atlanta, leaving the Hawks' front office open to virtually all offers coming their way. For Capela, an influx of playoff-contending teams have already begun to show a level of interest, with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings named as possible suitors for the veteran center, sources said.
While Capela has continued to remain an impactful frontcourt talent for the Hawks, fourth-year big man Onyeka Okongwu has continued to see his role increase since the start of the season. After Okongwu received a four-year, $62 million extension from the Hawks, Capela has become expendable to Atlanta. The team is interested in moving his contract in order to create a level of financial flexibility moving forward.
Pertaining to Capela's possible trade suitors, the Knicks and Rockets are two teams that have been searching the market for frontcourt help. While they are not necessarily thrilled with the idea of adding a $20 million contract that carries over to the 2024-25 season, sources indicated that New York is still interested in adding an impactful center alongside Isaiah Hartenstein at the trade deadline. The Knicks have shown more interest in Murray through the weeks, with Capela's name coming up briefly during the team's initial pursuit of Murray.
It is worth noting that the Knicks recently had their $7.8 million Disabled Player Exception declined by the league due to the belief that starting center Mitchell Robinson could possibly return from ankle surgery before the conclusion of the regular season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Hartenstein took over the starting center job and has played well in the wake of Robinson's injury.
The Lakers, league sources said, have briefly discussed the scenario of acquiring both Murray and Capela from the Hawks. Whereas Atlanta has remained adamant on wanting third-year guard Austin Reaves, the Lakers have remained firm on their stance of keeping the 25-year-old out of all trade discussions. This extends to trade conversations Los Angeles has held with other teams besides the Hawks.
Along with Trae Young, the Hawks have informed rival teams inquiring about trade opportunities that they have no interest in discussing Jalen Johnson, sources said. It is also believed that rookie Kobe Bufkin is being left out of trade discussions, as he would be in line to see a significant role change should Atlanta part ways with Murray.
In a total of 36 games entering Monday afternoon's game against the San Antonio Spurs, Capela has averaged 11.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 57.3 percent from the floor.
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