Rumors that the Boston Celtics are looking into a possible trade to acquire Houston Rockets center Clint Capela are back.
Adding fuel to the fire and making it more of a possibility are reports that All-Star big man Al Horford will likely be leaving Boston this summer in free agency.
Capela would make sense on the Celtics, who are going to have quite a bit of money to work with if both Horford and Kyrie Irving ship out.
Capela signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Rockets before the start of the 2018-19 season. He’ll make $14,896,552 this coming season, $16,000,000 in 2020-21, $17,103,448 in 2021-22 and $18,206,897 in 2022-23.
Last season, Capela averaged 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds while shooting 64.8 percent from the field. However, he did disappear during the playoffs and calls for the Rockets to get rid of him for a bigger star grew louder.
The Rockets would also benefit from getting rid of Capela’s contract if they are serious about making a major move to improve their roster. The team’s management has made it clear that everyone in their roster except for James Harden is available in trade talks, and general manager Daryl Morey said this week they are looking for a third star to pair up with Harden and Chris Paul.
Capela certainly thrives in an up-tempo offense, where he can catch pick-and-rolls and lobs from his teammates. In addition to averaging a double-double, Capela is a good rim protector.
Now, who would the Rockets be looking to acquire in such a trade?
