New Blockbuster Three Team Trade Proposal Sends Capela to New York, Julius Randle to The Lakers as Hawks Get Assets

Could the Hawks send their longtime center to New York and a rotation wing to LA in exchange for a massive pick haul?

Apr 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) drives to the basket while guarded by Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji (22) in the second half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports / Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that the Hawks are interested in trading their longtime starting center, Clint Capela. At the end of June, it was reported that the Grizzlies, Wizards, Pelicans and Bulls were all exploring the possibility of acquiring him. Those was no update on those talks and things seemed to stall out, It was not until the Hawks sent Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans that there was any update on Capela's situation.

In the wake of the Murray trade, John Hollinger of the Athletic reported that the Hawks are still very much trying to move on from Capela. Other teams simply are not interested.

”Of course, I say all this as if the Hawks are done dealing. Are they? Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter rumors have subsisted for ages, but the general consensus from league sources is that the Hawks can’t get any meaningful return for them.”

Therefore, it seemed the Hawks were giving up on trading Capela. Recent reporting indicates that might not be the case. ESPN's Zach Lowe reported yesterday that Capela is firmly on the trade block - and other teams are interested.

Specifically, SNY's Ian Begley mentioned Capela in connection to the Knicks while answering fan mailbag questions. Begley had this to say about New York's interest in Capela:

"Clint Capela, Atlanta, was one big that the Knicks checked in on. I don't know how far talks went. I don't know if they're active at this very moment. But they did check in on Capela. You can infer that Mitchell Robinson would have been in that deal because Capela is a starting center. Or maybe the Knicks could have said Robinson and Capela will be our platoon at center."

New York's interest in Capela certainly makes sense. Losing center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder have left the center position rather thin for the Knicks. Current starter Mitchell Robinson also is not the most durable center. Over the past three years, Robinson has played in 72, 59 and 31 games respectively. That being said, Capela being moved in exchange for Robinson and picks would not work financially. New York would become a second-apron team and the amount of money they send out would prevent them from taking on Capela's deal. Capela makes around $22 million while Robinson makes around $14 million. Therefore, a three-team trade framework could make some sense.

In this framework, the Los Angeles Lakers would be the third team. The Lakers are always looking to add star power around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After securing James and Davis for the next year, LA knows their time with this core is running out. To give themselves one last shot at making a run to the Finals, they could go all-in on making their lineup as strong as possible while clearing their negative contracts.

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 get: D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, 2028 1st round pick (via LAL, top-2 protected), 2030 1st round pick (via LAL, top-8 protected), 2026 2nd round pick (via GSW, via NYK), 2026 2nd round pick (via MIL, via NYK)

Knicks get: Clint Capela, Jarred Vanderbilt, 2026 1st round pick (via LAL), 2027 1st round pick-swap (via LAL), 2029 1st round pick-swap (via LAL)

Lakers get: DeAndre Hunter, Miles McBride, Julius Randle

Why the Hawks do this: The Hawks would do this deal primarily for the pick equity. Getting two first-round picks in a Hunter deal would be a masterstroke, but Los Angeles picks are especially valuable. The LeBron era could end as soon as 2026 and Atlanta would then have picks from a team poised to rebuild. Atlanta could use those picks to either add young, cost-controlled talent in the event of a rebuild or add another piece around Young during this summer. However, it also clears the salaries of Capela and Hunter from their books. The departure of Hunter's contract is especially important because he currently cuts into Risacher's minutes. Moving him to a sixth man role is not justifiable based on his salary. Instead, they get contracts that fill roster needs without hampering their long-term future. Hachimura immediately steps into Hunter's role at a lower salary, providing a strong defender with length who can create his own shot. Russell can play as the backup point guard in the event of a Bufkin injury or be moved again at the trade deadline for additional assets. His deal expires at the end of this season, so Atlanta can cut ties with him relatively easily. Vincent is coming off of an injury-marred year with the Lakers, but a return to health could provide some of the perimeter defense the Hawks sorely lacked in 2023-24.

Why the Hawks don't do this: There is a very real possibility that two of the three of the players Atlanta is acquiring are poor fits on the roster. Aside from his playoff struggles, Russell's defensive limitations make him impossible to play next to Trae Young. He could also block the development of Kobe Bufkin. Another injury-riddled season would leave Vincent unable to contribute to a roster that does not necessarily need him. He'd likely be the fifth guard on the team behind Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dyson Daniels and Bufkin. Hachimura also played his best basketball when he was in a starting role, so there is some risk to making him a backup again.

Why the Knicks do this: With Robinson and Capela, the Knicks would have a center rotation that allows them to keep Robinson fresh for the playoffs. Capela's skillset is similar to what Robinson offers - he's a rim-running big who protects the rim and grabs rebounds. He is still a good rebounder and solid rim protector despite his age. On offense, Robinson is a more athletic version of Capela, but the Knicks will be able to run their usual offense with Capela's skillset. New York also gets potentially valuable picks from Los Angeles and a hyper-athletic defender who can match up with guards and forwards alike. Furthermore, Vanderbilt is only 24 and could grow as a shooter to offer the Knicks more on offense. The Knicks would also clear long-term salary cap space and give themselves additional assets to add more talent around Jalen Brunson.

Why the Knicks don't do this: A starting-level power forward and multiple first-round picks is a fair offer for Randle, but his role on New York's roster might make him indispensable. He can match up with bigger forwards on defense, which is something Vanderbilt has struggled with. He is also a 20+ points per game scorer that takes attention off Brunson in a way Vanderbilt cannot. It is also possible that New York sees Capela's salary as ultimately too much for what he provides as a backup. I could see New York also being hesitant to move Deuce McBride because he gave them really good minutes in the 2024 playoffs. He's an excellent defender who can hit threes, create from midrange and play next to Brunson despite his small stature. Ultimately, the Knicks are in win-now mode - losing certainties in McBride and Randle is hard to stomach.

Why the Lakers do this: By doing this trade, the Lakers would move James to the point guard role and create a starting lineup of LeBron - Reaves - Hunter - Randle - Davis. The best version of the Lakers is one where LeBron has the ball in his hands and makes decisions for the offense. He would not need to take on as much of a scoring role because both Randle and Davis can shoulder that workload. Hunter is not a perfect player, but his perimeter defense and reliable shooting from three-point range fit on this roster. His defensive ability also allows the Lakers to ease in their first-round rookie, Dalton Knecht. Knecht is a fantastic shooter, but struggles on defense. McBride can function as a backup point guard who can give LeBron a rest during the regular season. His defense is far better than Russell's and he is still a good three-point shooter.

Why the Lakers don't do this: They are giving up a haul of future pick equity in this deal. Two first-round picks is a lot for what DeAndre Hunter provides, but I believe they would need to attach those picks in order to move Russell and Vincent's contracts. The worrying part for Los Angeles is that they would lose control of their own picks during a time when they should be in a rebuild. They will not be able to tank for high-end prospects and could be stuck in the NBA's middle ground for years to come. Furthermore, there is also the question of how much more upside Hunter has in comparison to Hachimura. Both are athletic wings who play good defense and shoot three-pointers on adequate volume. Neither are elite in either area and it is worth noting Hunter missed 25 games this season with knee inflammation. If his knee problems persist, he might not be able to handle a starting workload.