3 Hawks who will not be on the roster by the trade deadline in February

Hawks at crossroads with Clint Capela

Clint Capela has been a valued member of the Hawks’ core going on five seasons. He is one of five remaining members from the 2020-21 squad that made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Capela has also been a voice of reason over what has been a tumultuous two seasons, speaking in defense of former Hawks head coach Nate McMillan after the latter got fired.

Capela has also been consistent, posting his seventh straight double-double season in 2023-24.

Even as his metrics dropped, Capela proved his value to the team, which is often felt most when he is not on the floor. The Hawks are 142-133 with Capela in the lineup and 19-24 when he is out since he arrived in 2020, per Statmuse.

However, Capela also carries many of the hallmarks of a player the Hawks should be looking to move on from.

His two-year, $46 million contract expires after the 2024-25 season.

He also hit the dreaded 30-year-old threshold and has already dealt with injuries and declining production over the past three seasons from a rebounding standpoint. And with already-limited offensive range, he posted the second-worst field goal percentage of his career in 2023-24.

Capela’s statistical production is fine for a backup (see: Andre Drummond). But his salary is too high for that role.

Meanwhile, his backup Onyeka Okongwu is also on the cusp of being too expensive for his role.

Okongwu is starting a four-year, $61.9 million contract. There has long been a push to get him into the starting lineup but myriad issues – health, foul troubles, Capela – have prevented that from happening.

The Hawks, already in the midst of a significant transition, likely only have until the trade deadline to make a move with Capela.

An extension is risky and while a sign-and-trade is possible, it is far from a given.