Rival teams have projected the Hawks as targeting big men with whatever draft slots they ultimately operate from. After years of dangling Clint Capela on the trade block, Capela is finally expected to depart Atlanta via free agency this season, sources say. So the Hawks appear poised to have an opening for a center.
Source: marcstein.substack.com
Source: marcstein.substack.com
More on this storyline
According to rival scouts and executives, the Lakers best’ assets (minus Reaves) are their 2031 first-round pick, second year wing Dalton Knecht and a bunch of expiring contracts. Some combination of them would be a must in any deal the team would make for a center. The free-agency options, like the in-season trade options, are considered to be pretty lean. Indiana center Myles Turner is set to be a free agent, but he was already out of the Lakers’ price range before the Pacers’ current run to the Eastern Conference finals. Brook Lopez is 37 and already had a one-year stint with the Lakers before leaving to play his best basketball elsewhere. Clint Capela could be an option depending on how the market reacts, but there are questions around the league about whether he’s still a full-time starter. -via Los Angeles Times / May 16, 2025
Andrew Bogut on Lakers free agency: Can Steven Adams start with his body over 82 games? I don’t know. That’s the issue. I think he’s definitely got some injury issues that are going to be long term. Clint Capela is a good one. He’s been relatively healthy for the most part of his career. Hasn’t had any really bad injuries. Real good lob threat. Great shot blocker. That’s definitely an option as well. -via YouTube / May 5, 2025
Carmelo Anthony: ‘Like now I’m ready to go to the season. They like ‘Noooooooo!’ There’s a clip of me laughing running back down the court like ‘Yo, my bad, my bad.’ And I had to catch myself. And this is where, like, the ego comes into play, because I’m like—you want me to take away everything that I built my career off of, my game? This is why people know me. This is why people would want me on the team—to bring this right here. Especially with this team. This is what is missing. You missing a post-up guy. You missing somebody who can draw double-teams. You missing somebody who can score four or five different levels along with James Harden and Chris Paul and Clint Capela. Like, it was a hell of a situation. So, for me to come back and practice that week, and they put something on the board that says ‘mid-range shots’—they break it down. Or shots per game. Certain amount of threes, say 40 threes. If we had 90 possessions in the game, 30 to 40 threes, free-throws… Mid-range? 12 or less out of 90 possessions. And I’m sitting there like, ‘What?’ -via YouTube / March 30, 2025