Knicks, Hawks Had Trade Talks for Center

The New York Knicks nearly traded for Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela.

Mar 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) runs up court after a basket against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks have been making their rounds, trying to find a center to replace Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason.

While the Knicks are settling for their in-house replacements, they did look outside the organization for a potential upgrade.

"As far as backup centers and the trade deadline, I know the Knicks talked to Atlanta this offseason about a deal involving [Clint] Capela," SNY insider Ian Begley writes.

Capela, 30, is entering the final season of his two-year deal with the Hawks, and he's projected to make a little over $22 million. It's a large cap hit, but for a player who averages 11.5 points and 10.6 rebounds, he could be worth it for the Knicks.

New York was willing to pay around $18 million per year for Hartenstein, which was the max they could have offered him. Instead, Hartenstein is going to make around $29 million per year with the Thunder, so trading for Capela would mean they are spending less than what Oklahoma City is.

While Capela isn't as good of a player as Hartenstein, he can still be effective and valuable for the team. That being said, a trade for him will be tricky to navigate.

The Knicks would need to send someone to the Hawks who matches salaries with Capela, and Mitchell Robinson is the likeliest player to be dealt in a potential trade. This deal wouldn't solve the Knicks' depth issues at the position, but it would bring in someone who could be better than Robinson.

Capela is a free agent at the end of the year while Robinson is set to make about $12 million, so it would clear up some room for the team to give Julius Randle more money or give the Knicks freedom to go into a different direction entirely.

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