New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Clint Capela to Memphis, Hawks Get Defensive Help and Depth in Return

Will the Hawks move Clint Capela this offseason?

Dec 23, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) gets hit in the face while being defended by Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks are currently in the middle of their Las Vegas Summer League Schedule and it has given us a glimpse of some of the young talent on the Hawks. Before Summer League though, Atlanta knew they were in a roster crunch and that there would have to be some movement before the season. After trading Dejounte Murray to New Orleans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller and two first round picks. After that trade, attention turned to other players on the roster that Atlanta could move in its attempt to restructure its roster around Trae Young. The two most talked about players have been Clint Capela and De'Andre Hunter.

Before the draft, there was a lot of chatter about the futures of Capela and Hunter. There was reporting that Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago, and Washington were teams interested in Capela. Washington has signed Jonas Valanciunas and Chicago still has Nikola Vucevic, not to mention they appear like they want to go into a rebuild. That leaves Memphis and New Orleans as teams who still could use a center. Memphis less so than New Orleans because they might let rookie Zach Edey take over the starting spot, but what if they wanted a veteran on an expiring contract to start while Edey figures everything out for a year? New Orleans is still a possibility as well.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Here is the trade:

Hawks Receive Brandon Clarke and Zaire Williams

Grizzlies receive: Clint Capela and Garrison Matthews

Why the Hawks do this trade: They move off of Capela (who is still a good player) and his expiring deal and let Onyeka Okongwu take the full-time starting job to see if he can be the guy. They get back two young players who could provide depth for them at important positions. The thing that might be most important to the Hawks is that they would save money and stay under the luxury tax, which they try to avoid paying. Shams Charania at The Athletic wrote today that "The Grizzlies are discussing deals to move 2021 lottery draft pick Ziaire Williams, league sources said." While both Clarke and Williams are not super potent offensive players, they are still young and would help on defense. Williams is on an expiring deal and if Atlanta does not want him for their future plans, they could let him walk to free agency next season. Clarke is also on a good contract for the future and is locked into multiple years.

Why the Hawks won't do this: You could argue that the Hawks don't really get better by that much by getting Clarke and Williams. They also would still be in a roster crunch as well. Would Williams even play if they traded for him? There would still be moves that needed to be made if the Hawks did this trade. Clarke has struggled with injuries as well.

Why the Grizzlies do this: They get a good starting center for a season and let Edey ease himself into the league by being the primary backup. While Edey could be the answer, it might be too much for him to take over right away and be asked to play 30+ minutes. Capela would form a very good defensive tandem with Jaren Jackson Jr and help the Grizzlies contend in the Western Conference. Garrison Matthews was one of the NBA's best three-point shooters on a good deal and could be used in a small role for the team if needed off the bench. This move also keeps Memphis under the tax.

Why the Grizzlies don't do this: There are only two reasons that I think Memphis does not do this. 1) Memphis might want to let Edey take over as the full-time starting center. They may want to give him as many minutes as they can and let him grow alongside the young core they have. 2) Memphis may not want to move on from Clarke for a one-year rental. Clarke is a good player, especially on defense, and Capela and Matthews both are free agents next summer. While they might be looking to move Williams, Clarke might not be a guy they want to part with. There was also reporting from NBA insider Marc Stein over the weekend about how Larry Nance has more trade value than Capela.

Memphis could still use a starting center and are reportedly looking to move Williams. It is not out of the question they look at Capela (or Nance) as a one year plan to help out Edey.