The Hawks are in the midst of a battle to hold onto the final spot in the NBA's Play-In Tournament and are three games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and four in front of the Toronto Raptors. Even if the Hawks get in the play-in and then the playoffs, it is far fetched to think that they are going to make noise in the postseason. The Hawks are going to be one of the most interesting teams this summer and after standing pat at the trade deadline, some around the league expect the Hawks to make moves.
Leading up to the trade deadline, Dejounte Murray was the main player involved in trade rumors and then the attention from rival executives and others around the league turned to Trae Young for the summer. One player that could be moved though is center Clint Capela, making way for Onyeka Okongwu to be the starter for the future. Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz proposed a deal for the Hawks to send Capela to the Memphis Grizzlies and it would be a deal the Hawks should seriously consider making.
Here is what Swartz said about the proposed trade:
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: C Clint Capela
Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Ziaire Williams, F/C Brandon Clarke, 2025 first-round pick (top-10-protected)
"The Grizzlies should be back in the playoffs next season with a core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marcus Smart, although they'll need a new starting center after dealing injured big man Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets.
Capela, 29, is a perfect fit as a rebounder and defender, someone who can feed off pick-and-rolls with both Morant and Bane. Memphis is tied for 27th overall in rebounding percentage this year (48.0 percent) while Capela is pulling down 10.9 boards per game, his seventh straight season averaging a double-double.
Atlanta could be financially motivated to move Capela as backup center Onyeka Okongwu's four-year, $62 million extension will kick in next season. Keeping both would mean dedicating $36.3 million to the center position alone.
The Hawks open up a bigger role for Okongwu and add a pair of rotation players in Williams, the 10th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and Clarke, who should return before the end of this season following Achilles surgery.
Atlanta also gets a protected first-rounder from the Grizzlies in 2025, which is important since their own pick is owed to the San Antonio Spurs from the Dejounte Murray trade."
Given the way Capela has played this season, the Hawks should take this deal. While he is not completely ineffective, Capela's defense has taken a step back and his offensive game is still very one-dimensional. Okongwu was playing well as the starter before his injury and it would make sense for the Hawks to try and move Capela for some depth and allow Okongwu to be the starter. Atlanta needs to be building around Young, Okongwu, and Jalen Johnson for the future and that would allow them to do that.
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