Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela is currently sidelined with a hand injury that could keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. He could return of course, especially with the Hawks looking like locks to make the Play-In. However, even if they make it through the tournament and secure their first playoff berth since 2023, don’t expect the big man to stick around much longer.
Hawks’ Clint Capela Expected To Leave In 2025 Free Agency
“After being benched in favor of Onyeka Okongwu and dangled in trade talks before the deadline, the early expectation is Hawks center Clint Capela will sign elsewhere in unrestricted free agency this summer,” reports HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto (h/t NBA Central).
Clint Capela is expected to leave the Atlanta Hawks in free agency, per @MikeAScotto
“After being benched in favor of Onyeka Okongwu and dangled in trade talks before the deadline, the early expectation is Hawks center Clint Capela will sign elsewhere in unrestricted free… pic.twitter.com/hJ5pdDGL9Y
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 28, 2025
Capela is in the final year of a two-year, $46 million contract extension that he signed in 2021. In 2018, he signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets. By the offseason, the Geneva native will have made $131 million since being drafted 25th overall in 2024.
Opposite Timelines
In his 11-year NBA career, Capela has averaged 12.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
A traditional rim-runner and shot-blocker, he averaged at least 11 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game in seven consecutive seasons. He’s particularly gifted when crashing the offensive glass, his career offensive rebounding percentage (15.2) ranking seventh all-time. He ranks seventh among active players in career offensive rebounds with 2,432 (regular season only).
However, Capela’s now on the downslope of his career. This and his replacement having a more versatile skillset led to the Hawks starting Onyeka Okongwu over him. The sixth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, he hasn’t disappointed since being promoted to the first unit.
In those 32 games, Okongwu is averaging a double-double with 14.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. A two-way playmaker, he’s also averaged 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block per game. Perhaps most impressively, he’s made 39.1 percent of his 3-point attempts.
If Okongwu wasn’t ready to take the reins, perhaps Capela would’ve been reinserted into the starting lineup. That’s not what happened though. Now, they must adjust to their new realities.
Clint Capela’s Options
Most players would likely prefer to be in the first unit. However, only about a tenth of them will ever be shoo-ins for a starting spot. At this point of his career, Capela isn’t in that category. As a result, while he might search out a team looking for a starter-level center, it probably won’t be a make-or-break factor.
With that in mind, there are 11 teams projected to have cap space this offseason: the Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, and San Antonio Spurs. None of those teams necessarily need a starting-caliber center. Nonetheless, many of them would be wise to shore up their depth at the position.
Several other teams are projected to have their mid-level exception available. The sign-and-trade route is an option.
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