Multiple Teams Expected To Pursue Trade for Hawks’ Clint Capela, per Report (2024)

The Atlanta Hawks should be deeply entrenched in the NBA rumor mill this offseason. There are several factors that will leave the future of the Hawks up in the air until the pieces fall into place.

The team has had its two star guards in trade rumors dating back to as early as last offseason. If the future in Atlanta involves a rebuild, then it should not surprise anyone to see one or both of their starting backcourt duo get traded.

The NBA Draft will surely help the Hawks with a potential rebuild. The Hawks caught a lucky break, as their pick jumped up to the first overall selection in the 2024 draft.

This year's draft class features some prominent names at the top, with a few being big men. Alexandre Sarr and Donovan Clingan are two of the more popular names who could be selected right at the top of the draft.

If June 26 rolls around and the Hawks intend to select one of the talented big men projected near the top of the draft, they will likely have to create an opportunity for that rookie to get some playing time. 30-year-old Clint Capela may be the casualty of doing so.

Luckily for the Hawks, according to Matt Moore of Action Network, Capela will be a popular trade target for several teams this offseason.

Capela has one year left on his contract, valued at around $20 million.

Potential Trades: Western Conference Teams Looking To Make A Push

How a Capela trade could look like for a couple of hungry teams looking to reassert themselves

Capela still has a lot to offer a team. He started 73 games for the Hawks this past season and performed admirably in those contests.

Capela can still bring a solid combination of a play finisher around the basket offensively to go with some solid rim protection on defense. For the four teams listed as potential buyers, two Western Conference teams are looking to reassert themselves firmly into the playoff mix in a loaded conference.

Here is what some of the trade packages could theoretically look like.

If the New Orleans Pelicans have seen enough of Dyson Daniels after a couple of seasons, they could use him as a bargaining chip to acquire a new starting center. Jonas Valanciunas is a free agent this offseason, and it remains unclear whether he'll return to the team.

The Memphis Grizzlies are another team in the market for a starting center. They have the salaries to match Capela's current contract and from there, it may be a discussion about how much draft pick capital he is worth.

The Grizzlies have reportedly been willing to dangle their lottery pick in this year's draft for a win-now player. Perhaps this is where it pans out, or perhaps the Grizzlies can get a deal done with less.

Eastern Conference Confusion

Involvement of the two teams in the East feels odd by comparison

It's a little harder to understand the roles of the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards in a potential Capela trade when compared to the Western Conference teams. However, one does make a little more sense than the other.

The Bulls are expecting to get Lonzo Ball back in the upcoming season. They could be looking to clear up minutes in the guard rotation. The team is reportedly interested in competing this coming season, as indicated by their refusal of considerable draft compensation for the services of Alex Caruso. Capela could help them push towards being a playoff team again.

The Wizards could see an opportunity to get out a year early of the Landry Shamet contract. They may send out some second-round picks to the Hawks in hopes of doing so, building up Capela's value, and then moving on from him either at the trade deadline or next offseason. It is otherwise tough to imagine what the Wizards' thought process is here.

Stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference.