NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks' 6'10" Swiss center becomes potential trade chip in NBA title push

The Atlanta Hawks have several positive things to carry over into 2025; Trae Young's improved assist numbers, Jalen Johnson's emergence as a playmaker, and Zaccharie Risacher becoming a solid contributor. Of course, a few tweaks here and there on the roster wouldn't hurt, either.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Hawks might be looking to move their big man Client Capela, who's in his 11th year in the league.

"The Atlanta Hawks are looking to trade Clint Capela, per @JakeLFisher," The Dunk Central Tweeted on Friday.

This season, Capela is averaging 10.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. This is the Swiss center's sixth season with the Hawks, who haven't gotten out of the Eastern Conference first round since 2021.

Though the 6-foot-10 big man's minutes and point production are slightly down from last season, Capela currently has the highest win shares among any player on the roster.

His contribution to the winning ways of the Hawks (14-14, 7th in the East) could be cited by the front office as they engage in talks with potential trade partners.

The Atlanta Hawks are confident in the emergence of another center

Since coming to Atlanta after a productive stint with the Houston Rockets, Capela has played a total of 303 games. Within this span, he came off the bench just three times—a testament to the trust that he's earned from head coaches Lloyd Pierce, Nate McMillan, Joe Prunty, and Quin Snyder.

Given this, what would incentivize the Hawks to trade Capela? Aside from perhaps moving him before he gets further in his 30s, Atlanta is reportedly looking at Onyeka Okongwu to play a more significant role moving forward. According to Fischer, Okongwu is considered a piece of the Hawks' core in the long term.

With his mobility, soft touch, and ability to catch lobs, Okongwu has the potential to provide consistent production from the center position. Throughout his five seasons in Atlanta, his field goal attempts and points per game have steadily improved.

On the defensive end, his agile 6-foot-8 frame makes him a viable option for switching out to stretch bigs, while also holding the fort in the paint with a career average of 1.1 blocks per game.

However, as Fischer rightfully points out, this transition from Capela to Okongwu could hit a snag when the former's contract situation is taken into consideration. Capela is in the final year of a sizable $22.27 million contract, and it might be difficult for Atlanta to find a trade partner willing to take on his salary.

With the center position pretty much stacked across the league, the Hawks will have to find a team that's willing to stretch both their roster and their salary cap. Nevertheless, if Fischer's report fully pans out, the Atlanta front office will find creative ways to get this Capela transaction done.