Hawks Among Teams With Interest In Clint Capela

The Hawks have expressed trade interest in Rockets center Clint Capela, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Houston has fielded several calls from teams on Capela, but is unlikely to deal him unless it gets an “overwhelming” offer.

Capela is the latest in a long line of centers that have been linked to the Hawks this season. The team was said to be discussing a possible Andre Drummond trade with the Pistons earlier this winter before backing off that pursuit. Atlanta has also reportedly shown interest in Thunder big man Steven Adams, as well as Kings center Dewayne Dedmon.

As a solid defender and rim-runner with a fairly team-friendly contract, Capela is the sort of player who would appeal to the Hawks and make a good running mate for Trae Young. However, Atlanta probably doesn’t have the pieces that would appeal to a win-now team like Houston. A three-team Capela trade that nets the Rockets a versatile rotation player or two may appeal to Daryl Morey, but that would be trickier to pull off.

Interestingly, Charania also cites sources who say a number of teams are monitoring Hawks big man John Collins and “feeling out” Atlanta’s asking price. For now, the 22-year-old is viewed as a long-term building block for the franchise, but Charania suggests the team may need a more natural center. Collins, who served a 25-game drug suspension in the fall, has split time between the four and five since returning.

View Comments (4)