The rumor mill for the Atlanta Hawks has been on overdrive since they lost in the first round of the playoffs. There has been huge John Collins chatter, especially leading up to the draft night when the Hawks had hoped to trade him to land a high lottery pick. It does look like we have seen the last of this Hawks star.
However, there was a rumor about the Minnesota Timberwolves showing an interest in Hawks center Clint Capela. This could be one of those moves that could free up the cap space required for the Hawks to go for a second star.
However, this talk has also quietened down. This is partially due to the draft taking place and the Timberwolves seeing what they were able to select. They managed to select two picks in the first-round picks but did not fill their greatest area of need, the veteran leader to anchor their defense.
The Atlanta Hawks need to keep the line open with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While Capela is a true favorite of Trae Young, both on and off the court, the NBA is a business. Young would understand if Capela or John Collins were traded if it helped the team. Even though this would mean that he would have to find one or two new favorite targets in the restricted area.
The trade talk has died down around Capela, with the Timberwolves also looking at other potential trade targets. Capela is about to finish the initial contract that he signed with the Houston Rockets. On top of that, he has the two-year, $46 million contract extension that he signed last offseason with the total value of his value over the next three seasons to $54.2 million.
While the talks have paused, expect more noise to come out of Atlanta about trading Capela, especially involving the Timberwolves. Onyeka Okongwu is a good option as the Hawks starting center, assuming the Hawks trade Capela. This means that they have options that are going to be crucial to them going forward.