NBA Trade Rumors: Clint Capela To Celtics For Marcus Smart And Daniel Theis, ‘Soaring Down South’ Suggests
The Boston Celtics may be currently surpassing expectations of them in the 2019-20 NBA season but as of now, they are not considered to be on the same level as Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks. In order to have a better chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning a championship title, the Celtics should continue to find ways to address the issues on their roster, including their need of a defensive-minded big man who could fill the void left by Al Horford. One of the potential trade targets for the Celtics in the offseason is Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks.
In a recent article, Dallin Duffy of Fansided’s Soaring Down South included the Capela-to-Celtics trade on his list of potential deals that the Hawks could make. In the proposed trade deal, the Celtics would be sending a package that includes Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis to the Hawks in exchange for Capela. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.
Though it would cost them a fan favorite in Boston, the potential deal makes a lot of sense for the Celtics as it would immediately solve their major frontcourt problem. Capela is a clear upgrade over the likes of Theis, Enes Kanter, and Robert Williams III. He’s not only a quality rim protector and incredible rebounder, but he’s also a very reliable scoring option under the basket. Before he was traded to the Hawks, Capela was averaging 13.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 62.9 percent from the field.
During his six-year stint with the Houston Rockets, Capela earned plenty of playoff experience which would greatly help the Celtics in making the deep postseason run in the 2020-21 NBA season. Also, in the years he spent with James Harden in Houston, Capela likely wouldn’t have a hard time making himself fit alongside ball-dominant superstars like Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum.
If the trade becomes a reality, Duffy believes that it would not only be beneficial for the Celtics, but also for the Hawks.
“Flipping Clint Capela has always been an option for Atlanta, especially given his questionable fit with the team and the fact they got him for pretty cheap. Marcus Smart is a combo guard who could play both behind and alongside Trae Young and would definitely help offset the team’s rough perimeter defense. Daniel Thesis can come in and be the Hawks’ starting center for the time being and the 28-year-old is coming off a solid season being the C’s primary starting five.”
Smart would give the Hawks a quality veteran role player who could serve as Trae Young’s primary backup or his new backcourt partner. Aside from what he can contribute on both ends of the floor, Smart could also serve as a great mentor to the Hawks’ young core and help bring about a winning culture in Atlanta. Though he’s not as good as Capela, Theis possesses the same skillset, giving the Hawks a cheaper alternative at the center position.
