The Atlanta Hawks are expected to lose key players in the offseason.
Currently ranked as the No. 7 seed at the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks have moved at past trade deadlines, including two important works.
It started when they traded DeAndre Hunter for the Cleveland Cavaliers before sending Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Los Angeles Clippers.
When the offseason hits, they line up to see another exit from Clint Capella’s longtime center.
Clint Capella’s run against the Atlanta Hawks is estimated to reach a conclusion shortly after this season.
According to Michael Scotto by Hoopshypethis summer, there will be “early hopes” that big men will leave the team and sign elsewhere as they enter the unlimited free agency market this summer.
He writes: “After being benched in favor of Onyeka Okongwu and hanging in trade talks before the deadline, the initial expectations are that Hawks Center Center Clint Capela will sign elsewhere in unlimited free agency this summer.
Capela holds an expired $22.2 million contract. He was part of the Hawks since the 2019-20 midseason, when the franchise acquired him in a multi-team deal from the Houston Rocket.
A big athletic man, Capella imposed herself in her first few years as a solid rebound and defensive anchor as a hawk. He also formed a horrifying pick-and-roll pairing with franchise guard Trae Young.
However, shortly after their first full season with them in 2020-21, Capella’s fate recedes. In part, his on-court exposure has declined year by year while stagnating year by year as he shares his team’s centre duties with Onyeka Okungwu.
This 2024-25 will be the most productive for Swiss big, tallying 8.9 points and 8.5 boards over 55 games (41 start) and tallying 8.9 points and 8.5 boards over 21.4 minutes.
Given that he is set to become a free agent in the 2025 offseason, we can only hope that Capella will be pursued by a few key teams desperately for center, especially the Los Angeles Lakers. Jeff Teague recently turned the big man who fits perfectly in purple and gold.
The Lakers feel they have issues with depth in the center. With Anthony Davis leaving the groundbreaking Luka Doncic Mega Deal, LA offers only Jaxson Hayes as the most viable option.
The Lakers actually worked hard to address the center’s needs when they traded for Mark Williams. However, infamously, the deal was rejected after the Charlotte Hornets big man was determined to have medical issues that the Lakers were not satisfied with.
Because of this failed trade, Los Angeles scored the emergency center signing by securing Alex Wren. However, the former lottery tycoon is simply a shame, causing a stir beyond the Lake Show fanbase from his past few games.
Chasing Capella will require a lot of reviews for the Lakers so that the veteran center can revive his old productivity and guide his old paint advantage for the rocket.
However, with Donsic and LeBron James running the show, there is a chance that if Capella joins the Lakers, there is a chance that she is potentially offensive and active.