Exploring Four Different Massive Trade Proposals for Clint Capela

Pelicans, Bulls, Wizards and Grizzlies are reportedly all interested in the center.

Earlier today, Action Network's Matt Moore had this to say about the Hawks' approach to the offseason:

"No one knows who Atlanta is taking with the No. 1 pick (and The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported he doesn't believe the Hawks know yet). However, as the Hawks debate how to reshape their team going forward, changes — but not a complete teardown — are expected. In particular, the Hawks are expected to trade one of Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, but not both. They'll keep one to build around.

Clint Capela is a popular trade target with the Grizzlies, Wizards, Pelicans and Bulls having expressed interest."

Citing Capela as a trade target for those four teams should come as no surprise, seeing as how all of them could use a player of Capela's skills. For Memphis, the allure of a Capela-Jaren Jackson Jr. frontcourt has a ton of defensive potential. They have struggled to find a reliable option to play alongisde JJJ, often rotating between Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams. Clarke just returned from an Achilles injury while Adams is no longer on the team. They need a shot blocker and defensive rebounder - Capela fits that mold perfectly.

The Bulls could be interested in him as either a backup five or a starting center if they decide to move off of starting center Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic's defense has been a problem for Chicago and Capela would represent an upgrade on that side of the ball. Truth be told, the Hawks would likely only be interested in Bulls guard Alex Caruso, but Capela could sweeten their Caruso package. The backup five spot will likely be open for Chicago, considering Andre Drummond is a free agent.

The Pelicans likely will not bring back Jonas Valanciunas, whose defensive concerns make him a poor fit next to Zion Williamson. Capela would be a significant upgrade on that end and his rim-runner archetype would fit with C.J McCollum. A lineup of Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Clint Capela is a tough matchup for any team and would give New Orleans plenty of defensive infrastructure around a flawed defender like McCollum.

The Wizards got solid play out of current center Marvin Bagley III, but he is not a good defender. For a rebuilding team like Washington, Capela would make sense as a veteran who can allow Bagley to space the floor without taking on so much defensive responsibility.

However, what would a package to land the Swiss big man actually look like? We came up with one package that each team could put forth for Capela's services.

It should be noted that this is just speculative and a fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what we think a team should definitely do. That is all.

Let's start with Capela heading to Memphis. The trade details are below:

Hawks get: Marcus Smart, Santi Aldama

Grizzlies get: Clint Capela and a 2025 first-round pick (top-12 protected via Sacramento)

For Atlanta, the upside of this is pretty simple. Even though Smart's season was derailed by injury, he played in 20 games and averaged a career-best 14.4 pts on 43% shooting from the field. He is an inconsistent three-point shooter, but is an excellent connective piece. His defensive aptitude would also fit perfectly next to Trae, to say nothing of his leadership, motor and toughness. Memphis can afford to lose him because of the development of GG Jackson and Vince Williams. Ja Morant will obviously be Memphis's point guard while Desmond Bane and Williams can play the 2 and 3 respectively. Therefore, Smart would fill more of a backup role on the 2024-25 Grizzlies. Atlanta would also get a very talented big man in Santi Aldama, who had a mini-breakout last year as a floor spacer and defender. He shot nearly 35% from three-point range and played both the four and five for Memphis last year.

Memphis gets Capela as an excellent defensive fit with Jaren Jackson Jr, a former DPOY in his own right, and a first-round pick that they could include in a trade for a star player. They are going to be in the playoff picture next season and have all their first-round picks through 2030. Since the West is so competitive, it's fairly plausible that a solid Kings squad will miss the playoffs, but end up outside the top eight and allow the pick to convey to Memphis. The trade also allows Memphis to play Jackson at the four, allowing them to use Vince Williams or GG Jackson as an extremely talented sixth man.

However, what if the Hawks decide to call up the Chicago Bulls and use Capela to get a different defensively-minded guard in Alex Caruso? The trade is below:

Hawks get: Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso

Bulls get: Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, 2025 first-round pick (top-12 protected via Sacramento), 2029 first-round pick (top-3 protected)

Now, it may sound strange to get Vucevic considering the Hawks are likely taking a forward or center with the first overall pick. He shot a career-worst 29.4% from three-point range - in stark contrast to his reputation as a great shooter - and continued to be a liability on defense. Vucevic isn't someone who can reliably cover in space or protect the rim. The Hawks sending Okongwu out would also be a bold move considering he has been tapped as the likely long-term successor to Capela. In short, Atlanta seems to be getting a player that doesn't fill an immediate need while sending out a part of its long-term future.

However, this could make sense for both sides for a couple of reasons. Consider the player Atlanta is getting in Caruso. The 6'5 guard is one of the best defenders in the NBA, point-blank. Here's a description of how dominant he was as a defender for the Bulls in 2023, per ESPN's Jamal Collier:

"Individually, Caruso ranked among the top five in field goal percentage allowed as the contesting defender last season, led all guards in defensive LEBRON-- a catch-all metric that measures defensive impact -- ranked in the top five in steals per 36 minutes and led the NBA in deflections per 36 minutes among players to play at least 1,000 minutes, per NBA Advanced Stats."

This year, he was fourth in steals-per-game and fifth in estimated defensive plus-minus, per Dunks & Threes. The latter of those stats measures the on-court defensive impact of players per 100 possessions and has elite defenders like Jonathan Isaac, Isiah Hartenstein, Marcus Smart and Joel Embiid as the only players above Caruso. Chicago would be getting two firsts in exchange for that player, with an especially enticing 2029 pick that could be in the top-five. They would also clear Vucevic's contract from their books and go into 2024 with their center position settled. Furthermore, if Capela leaves in the 2025 offseason, Okongwu is already on the roster as a replacement.

Vucevic's fit on the Hawks is not as bad as it appears on first glance. Historically, he is a 34% shooter from three-point range on four to six attempts per game for his career. While he can't defend in space or protect the glass, he still pulls down rebounds, averaging a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds last year. If the Hawks draft Sarr or Clingan, either are capable-enough defenders to cover up some of his mistakes. He fits next to Clingan as a stretch-four while he can play center in lineups with Sarr. Admittedly, he is not the cleanest fit, but the Hawks could certainly do worse at center.

He could also go to New Orleans.

Hawks get: Brandon Ingram and Dyson Daniels

Pelicans get: Clint Capela and Dejounte Murray

At 6'8 190 LBS, Ingram checks off the size that the Hawks need and he checks off the playmaking box as well. Whether he has the ball in his hands or not, Ingram can either get his own shot or he can set others up. He has averaged close to six assists per game for the past three seasons and has been a good shot-creator for the Pelican's offense. He had a tough offensive series vs the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs this season, but being with either Young would open up a lot for him.

He is not a perfect fit though on Atlanta, especially from a defensive perspective. If he were to be paired with Young, he would add to the defensive concerns of the team, but they could be overcome because while he is not a great defender, he is not one of the worst in the league and he has size at least. The other thing would be his three-point shooting, as it has fluctuated a bit over the years. He shot 35.5% from three this year, down from 39% last year. The year before that, he shot 32%. There is inconsistency with his three-point shooting.

Ingram is also going into the last year of his contract and will need a new one after next season. Obviously, if the Hawks trade for him, they will be giving him a new contract, but it would also tie him and whoever the point guard is on the team together. Also consider that Jalen Johnson is going to be extension-eligible this offseason, meaning Atlanta could have a lot of money tied up in either Young/Murray, Ingram, the No. 1 pick (unless it is traded), and Johnson. This would be the core of the Hawks if they made this trade and they would need to hope that it could bring them more success than they have had recently in the postseason. Atlanta would likely want to extend Caruso as well and lock in this core.

Ingram would bring a lot of upside to the Hawks and it does seem like New Orleans might be willing to move him. 

He could also go to Washington. This one is the trickiest destination because I don't know what the Hawks could really want from Washington. The one that I came up with was

Hawks get: Deni Avdija

Wizards get: Clint Capela, 2025 first-round pick (top-12 protected via Sacramento), 2025 second via Minnesota

I don't think the Wizards are openly shopping Avdija, but he is the only only player on the Wizards that I think makes any sense for the Hawks to take on, unless they just trade Capela for some draft capital. Avdija took a leap this year in his ability to create and his three-point shooting. I think he would be a solid fit for the Hawks, but I still think Washington is going to be unwilling to give him up. As a team that is rebuilding, their interest in Caplea is puzzling and I don't think he ends up there.