New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Clint Capela to Chicago, Nikola Vucevic + a 1st Round Pick To Atlanta

Will the Hawks trade Clint Capela this offseason?

Apr 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) grabs a rebound against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks are going to begin NBA Summer League tomorrow with a game against the Washington Wizards and it will be the first chance for Hawks fans to see No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher in a Hawks uniform. Risacher is going to be a big part of the Hawks plans this season, but there are some players who might not be.

One of those players is Clint Capela, who has been with the Hawks since 2020. Capela has been a defensive anchor for the Hawks over that time, but his defense has dipped a little and he is still not much of an offensive threat. Capela is also on an expiring contract and that has left many to wonder if he could be traded in favor of letting Onyeka Okongwu take over at center. The Hawks have not yet moved Capela though and many teams that were rumored to be interested in him have found other options.

That is not going to stop the speculation over a potential trade though. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley came up with a new proposal that would send Capela to the Chicago Bulls:

Trade idea: Clint Capela to the Chicago Bulls for Nikola Vučević, Julian Phillips and a 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via POR)

"While the Hawks could go the fire sale route, they might delay a total dismantling since they don't have control of their next three first-round picks.

So they could try reshuffling the roster around Trae Young instead, swapping out the rim-running Capela for a much more skilled offensive center in Vučević, plus Phillips, who was last year's No. 35 pick, and a lottery-protected future first.

Having a pick-and-pop threat like Vučević could give Young even more room to operate. It would also help differentiate this center rotation, since the Hawks would have one center for offense and finesse (Vučević) and another for defense and athleticism (Onyeka Okongwu). Adding a stretch element to the center spot would also give last season's breakout star Jalen Johnson even more room to operate and hopefully expedite his development."

I think this would be a terrible trade for the Hawks and would make them worse.

While Capela is far from a perfect player, he is still really good on the defensive end and that is the kind of skill set the Hawks need around Trae Young. Vucevic is one of the worst defensive players in the league and that would be a problem with Young at point guard. Phillips has not shown he can be a reliable rotational player and the 2025 pick from Portland is not going to convey because Portland is almost certainly going to be in the lottery. The Hawks would be better off keeping Capela instead of moving him for Vucevic, who has two years left on his contract.

I think it is possible that the Hawks move Capela, but I think it will be for other pieces and not for another center. If Capela is moved, I think that Okongwu will be finally given a chance to start and show he should be a part of the long term plans for Atalnta.

There were some roster moves made by the Hawks yesterday.

After not being given a qualifying offer, Saddiq Bey became an unrestricted free agent, but there was the possibility that the Hawks brought him back. Tonight though, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Bey is signing a three-year, $20 Million dollar deal with the Washington Wizards.

ey was a key player for the Hawks this season until he tore his ACL late in the season in a loss to the Pelicans. Atlanta acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline from the Detroit Pistons. The Hawks were not able to sign him to a rookie-scale extension before the start of last season and that paved the way for him to be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Bey averaged 13.7 PPG and 6.5 RPG last season for the Hawks. He played in 63 games, starting 51 of them. He shot a career low 31.1% from three this season.

Earlier today, the Hawks re-signed forward Vit Krejci to a four year, $10 Million dollar deal.

Because of the injuries that the Hawks had to the entire team, Krejci was forced to play a lot down the stretch, including starting a few games. He played in 22 games last season, starting 14 of them and averaged 6.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 2.5 APG. He shot 49% from the field, including 41% from three. At 6'8 195 LBS, Krejci became a wing player with size and shooting that the Hawks were lacking. His best performance came in the Hawks huge comeback against the Boston Celtics, a game in which he scored 16 points, including 13 points in one quarter. He was 4-7 from three that night.

What could Krejci's role be on this team? The Hawks have gotten bigger and better on the wing and at the point of attack through the early parts of this offseason. They drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick and just acquired Dyson Daniels in the Dejounte Murray trade. De'Andre Hunter is still on the team as well. Krejci is young and showed he has potential last season, but it was also in a very small sample size. There is not a clear pathway for him to play a ton of minutes this season, but that could change. I think the Hawks made the right move today by re-signing Krejci and I am eager to see him continue to develop in Atlanta.