It is no secret that Clint Capela will be leaving the Atlanta Hawks this offseason. He put together a highly productive five years with the Hawks, leading the NBA in rebounding for a season and offensive rebounding for two seasons during his stint.
Many teams will look to sign a rim-running big man like Capela this summer. The Los Angeles Clippers could especially use Capela’s skill set in a backup role behind starting center and Most Improved finalist Ivica Zubac. While elite at what he does, Zubac spends most of his time posting up and playing bully ball in the paint rather than running the floor and catching lobs like Capela.
Capela certainly fits the mold of what the Clips are looking for, but they may have already found a solution. After drafting 22-year-old big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Los Angeles executives Lawrence Frank and Trent Redden acknowledged the striking similarities between their new rookie and Capela.
Both Capela and Niederhauser hail from Switzerland, and Niederhauser plays like a younger version of his veteran countryman. ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk spoke to Frank about the team’s addition of Niederhauser with the No. 30 pick.
“Lawrence Frank and Trent Redden don't want to get into comps for Yanic Konan Niederhauser,” Youngmisuk tweeted. “But Frank says Clips have been searching for Clint Capela-type of center and they hope YKN can be a rolling vertical threat that can run the floor and bring diversity to center position.”
Given Niederhauser’s youth, the Clippers don’t need Capela like they used to. However, the 31-year-old rebounding machine could still provide many teams with a much-needed frontcourt spark.
Clint Capela could land with Clippers’ biggest rival
Capela has already generated strong interest from teams across the league, including the Clippers’ greatest rival. The Lakers were recently projected to sign the Swiss big man with their taxpayer mid-level exception.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus suggested that Capela “may be a stopgap for the Los Angeles Lakers via the TMLE.” Given how thin the Lakers’ center rotation became after they traded away Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, it would only make sense for the 17-time NBA champs to pursue a cost-controlled big man like Capela.
After trading for Kristaps Porzingis and drafting Asa Newell, Atlanta will have plenty of frontcourt depth without Capela next season. In his final year as a Hawk, Capela still averaged 8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. The Hawks may look to sign-and-trade the 11-year pro once July 6 rolls around, but he would have to agree to it.
All signs point to Capela joining a team in the Western Conference this offseason, but his time in Atlanta won’t be forgotten. From emerging as a perfect pick-and-roll partner for Trae Young to setting the nightly tone as a rebounder and shot-blocker, Capela had an undeniable impact on the Hawks.