Massive Trade Proposal Sees Pacers Land Clint Capela From Hawks

Matt Levine | Dec 8, 2024

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have seen multiple big men go down with season-ending injuries, hurting their play on the court. Indiana has had to gauge the trade market around the league in the hope that a trade could come about.

Currently Indiana doesn't have much behind Myles Turner, making it almost a necessity for the front office to make a move.

In a proposed mock trade from Nathaniel Holloway of The Sporting News, the Pacers land star center Clint Capela from the Atlanta Hawks. Capela could serve the Pacers well, giving them more depth in the frontcourt.

Here is what the proposed deal would look like:

Pacers receive: Center Clint Capela

Hawks receive: Forward Obi Toppin, forward Jarace Walker, and draft picks

"Capela would fit in well in Indiana’s second unit as a backup to Turner. He is a reliable scorer and defender who would improve the second unit and could also fill in as a starter if Turner or Siakam were to miss time. While this trade does not make the Pacers a top team in the East, it does fill a hole in their roster. With their rough start, adding a player like Capela could help them bounce back and once again make a deep run in the playoffs at the end of the season."

Adding Capela could heavily increase the Pacers' chances in the Eastern Conference, giving them strong rebounding and size. Capela has been one of the better rebounders in the NBA for years and pairing him with Turner could be a great idea.

For the season, the veteran has averaged 10.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. His size could help Indiana very well, especially against some of the other teams in the East.

Capela is a free agent at the end of the season so landing him would be a risk. But he could also serve as an insurance option for the Pacers in the event Turner leaves in free agency.

Indiana would get to see how Capela played in the system and he would likely cost less per year than Turner. While he can't space the floor, Capela would give the Pacers a solid addition ahead of the trade deadline.

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