Knicks Trade Proposal Adds $135 Million Center in 3-Player Deal

The Knicks have not yet inked a backup center to replace Isaiah Hartenstein, which remains the only significant hole on the roster, if you accept the fact that Julius Randle is part of the team going forward and won’t be moved despite an obviously awkward fit (at least not in the short term).

Precious Achiuwa is waiting in the wings, and the easy (most likely, too) option is to simply re-sign him and go into the 2024-25 season knowing that backup center might be a need throughout the year.

But at SNY, they’re advocating a different tack—why not get a quality starting center to play behind Mitchell Robinson, which is essentially what the Knicks had in Hartenstein? One player the Knicks could easily target is Hawks big man Clint Capela, who is in the final year of an extension that ran his total contract with Atlanta (originally signed by Houston) to a very impressive $135 million over seven seasons.

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Clint Capela on the NBA Trade Market

For all their investment in Capela, though, the Hawks are clearly done with him as their big man. He is 30, and his lack of versatility makes his style of play somewhat outdates compared to when he came into the NBA 10 years ago.

He has averaged 12.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in his career, and led the NBA in rebounding (14.3 per game) in 2020-21. But he has never made a 3-pointers in his career (on just five attempts) and rarely shoots from outside the paint. Atlanta wants to move on to fifth-year man Onyeka Okungwu, who has more upside and athleticism.

Thus, David Verstberger of SNY proposes a deal that would get Capela to New York with a limited outlay in assets.

“If the Knicks are dead set on maintaining two weapons at the five spot and see McBride as expendable in light of Tyler Kolek’s Summer League, trading for a starting caliber center could be an intriguing move for the front office. There aren’t a great deal of high-end bigs available, but the retooling Hawks could look to part ways with Capela.

“Losing McBride would hurt, and New York would need to sign-and-trade Achiuwa plus use their trade exception from the OG Anunoby deal to match salary figures. But in return, they’d receive a picture perfect addition, a rim-running defender that consistently tops the league in offensive rebounding.”

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Knicks Could Be Hampered by New CBA Rules

The Hawks are most definitely looking to move Capela, and the fact that he is in the final year of his contract would be attractive to the Knicks. Adding Miles McBride to a team that traded away Dejounte Murray in this offseason would be a bonus for the Hawks, and would probably be more than enough to get Capela on board without adding draft compensation.

But this deal could be problematic from an NBA salary cap perspective, because it would thrust the Knicks over the luxury tax’s so-called “first apron” and hard-cap the Knicks from there. The Knicks are not in a position, without another trade, to add much salary if they want to maintain some flexibility.

Still, Capela is compelling (sorry). He’d give the Knicks an interior big man coach Tom Thibodeau would appreciate, one who could start if/when Robinson is out for long stretches. If they get the right big guy now, perhaps the Knicks won’t need flexibility later.

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