The Hawks were able to acquire Clint Capela from the Rockets in a 12 player, four team trade.
ESPN story with @espn_macmahon on the late-night, four-team deal that became the NBA’s most expansive trade in 20 years. https://t.co/e14r9jPVE3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2020
For week the Hawks have been linked to centers such as Andre Drummond, Steven Adams, and most recently Capela. There has been inconsistency at the position for the teams far this season, and the hawks were looking to find a quality piece to add to the core. Drummond was first rumored as a player the Hawks would take, but talks between the Pistons fell apart.
Adams was then brought up in rumors, but there were no specific details into a possible trade. It was earlier this week when Capela was first linked to Atlanta, fast forward to now if the Hawks have their guy
Out of three centers that the Hawks seemed to have interest in, Capela seems to be the best. His contract is reasonable, he fits the Hawks youth timeline, and he’s the type of rim-runner they’ve been missing.
What this means for the Hawks
Capela thrived in Houston with James Harden in pick and roll situations. Atlanta is a team that’s uses the PnR a lot, and Trae feasts off the opportunities that it presents. Whether it’s a lob in the paint, or a floater, Trae has learned how to attack defenses, and adding Capela will make things easier.
Clint Capela is going to feast in Atlanta playing next to Trae Young. Hawks will likely have one of Collins and Capela on the floor with Young at all times to run PnR and quick hitters in transition. Capela is one of the fastest Bigs in NBA, and that itself is a matchup advantage
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 5, 2020
Adding Capela means that John Collins can spend more time outside of the paint and be a true stretch 4. With Collins improving his perimeter game, this should not be a problem for him trying to “fit in”. Collins is already playing next to centers like Damion Jones and Bruno Fernando, two centers that are not known for stretching the floor.
Collins production hasn’t taken a hit, so adding Capela to the mix shouldn’t hinder stats. If anything, it should make him better.
Not only will Capela affect the offense, but he will have his hands in the defense as well. The Hawks have been in many games where they couldn’t get a crucial stop or rebound down the stretch, and Capela should be able to assist in that area.
The biggest positive that the Hawks can take from this is that that didn’t give up much to acquire Capela. All it took was a first-round pick and Evan Turner. Travis Schlenk continues to do a good job of moving pieces around a creating flexibility for the Hawks. Their future continues to get brighter.
Gambling this season? Want to try it just to see what it feels like? Go to MyBookie.ag and use promo code ARMCHAIR25 at checkout. They will match your deposit dollar for dollar. Putting in $100? You’ll now have $200.
For quality up-to-date sports reporting, visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
