Atlanta Hawks: Mock Trade Offers For Mo Bamba, Clint Capela

Addressing the rumors that the Atlanta Hawks are interested in big men Clint Capela and Mohamed Bamba.

NBA’s Christmas Day is almost here – the Trade Deadline arrives on Thursday. As the deadline approaches, the Atlanta Hawks continued to be tied publicly to various centers.

They’ve reportably had/have interesting Andre Drummond, Dewayne Dedmon, Steven Adams and Jakob Pöltl earlier in the season, and two more names emerged on Super Bowl Sunday: Clint Capela and Mo Bamba.

https://twitter.com/ScoopB/status/1224116856195375104

Both would provide much needed frontcourt help for Atlanta, although the two are at very different points in their career. Bamba is a 2nd year player averaging just 15.3 minutes off the bench for a mediocre Magic team, while Capela is a nightly starter for the 31-18 Rockets.

While Bamba is obviously still on his rookie deal, Capela is currently in year two of a 5-year, $90 million deal that keeps him rostered until the summer of 2023. In addition, the two teams they would be trading with are in very different positions, and would likely want different things in return from the Hawks.

Here we’ll be looking at some mock trades the Hawks could use if they decide to pursue one of the two before the February 6th deadline, starting with Capela.

Clint Capela

Originally drafted as a ‘project prospect’ late in the first round in 2014, Capela has emerged as a quality starting center.

The 25-year-old has averaged 13.9 points, 1.8 blocks, 13.8 rebounds and 32.8 minutes per game on 63% shooting this season, starting all 39 of his appearances.

He’s a good rebounder and rim protector, two things the Hawks desperately need, but he may not be the best fit on the offensive end of the court. He’s attempted two career threes, and has rim-running tendencies not unlike John Collins.

The Rockets are in an interesting place, certainly ready to go all-in for a title building around James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Trading Capela is almost certainly a way for them to open up enough cap space to add another player to help them get to the Finals.

The Hawks don’t have a player like that, and the Rockets don’t have much use for Atlanta’s future picks (they could flip those however).

Instead, if Capela is heading to Atlanta, the teams would have to add a third team to the mix.

Here, the Hawks get Capela and two second-rounders, giving up two players and the Brooklyn pick. The Rockets get an elite 3-and-D guy and the T-Wolves get a 1st rounder and a still young Jabari Parker.

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It seems like a lot to give up at first for Atlanta, but Capela being under contract for years to come lessens the blow. Alex Len is a free agent this summer, and Parker could be as well (player option), so they could be getting something instead of nothing if they plan on letting those two walk.

For the Rockets, they get Covington from Minnesota, who has established himself as one of the league’s premier defenders, having moments on offense as well. They get Alex Len from the Hawks as well, who would be a serviceable starter or bench enter for Houston.

The T-Wolves don’t exactly get what they wanted for Covington (reported to be two first-rounders), but they get one along with Parker, who they can either sign long-term or let walk with no repercussions.

Mo Bamba

This one will be much easier, with the teams much more likely to find a deal without needing a third team.

Bamba was the 6th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, going right after Trae Young on that night. Since, Bamba hasn’t made the leap yet, starting just one game in the NBA so far, averaging 5.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 2019-2020.

The asking price has to be pretty big for Orlando, who’s very unlikely to give up on their top-ten pick from a year ago for pennies on the dollar. They Hawks would likely have to budge on either one of their young pieces, or on draft picks, perhaps even both.

Pick-scenario:

If the Magic preferred a future pick instead of a member of the Hawks’ young core, this could get it done.

The Hawks are essentially betting on themselves here, giving them a year to get back into position were the 2021 pick wouldn’t too valuable. The protection gives them a bit of security in case they go bust next season, but that would soon diminish.

Player-scenario:

Here the teams swap 21-year-old centers, with Bruno Fernando finding a new home in Orlando.

The Hawks give up the rookie Fernando, who has had good, bad and very bad performances this season, sending away Jabari Parker as well. They essentially swap lottery-protected picks, giving away this seasons for Orlando’s next season. 2021 is thought to be the better draft class.

Orlando gets two young big men instead of one, and the pick of course.

Whether or not any of these happen, it’s set to be a fun Trade Deadline for the Hawks. Check back here until then for more news and speculation.