Houston Rockets: What’s going on with Clint Capela?
By Jason Elbaum
Free agent center Clint Capela has yet to sign with the Houston Rockets or another team, so what is the holdup in bringing him back to Houston?
We are now moving into the fourth week of what has been a wild summer of NBA free agency, and the biggest name still available is without a doubt center Clint Capela. He is coming off his best season as a pro with the Houston Rockets and still has plenty of room to grow as a dominant center in the league at just 24 years of age.
Alongside the superstar backcourt of Chris Paul and reigning MVP James Harden, Clint Capela averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. These were all career-highs for the young center from Switzerland, and this was all in addition to leading the league in field goal percentage at 65.2 percent.
When Capela was set to hit restricted free agency this summer, many believed that teams would be lining up to offer him a maximum salary contract. With the need for rim protection becoming vital in today’s game along with the lack of elite centers in the league, it is incredibly surprising that Capela is still a free agent almost a month deep into free agency.
Supposedly, the Rockets made Capela an offer as soon as free agency started, but it was not enough to convince him to sign with the team. Capela is clearly looking for a maximum salary contract while his value in the league is the highest it has ever been.
Rockets offer to Clint Capela on July 1 was five years, $85 million, two individuals with knowledge of the offer said. With incentives, the deal could be worth $90 million. Rockets remain optimistic sides a deal will be reached. "Absolutely," one of the individuals said.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 11, 2018
Now that we are late into the free agency period, teams do not have the same cap flexibility that they did at the beginning of the month. In addition, teams have been opting to sign lower quality big men at bargain prices, putting a premium on other positions outside of the center.
Examples of the dilution of the center market include Brook Lopez signing with the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick Favors returning to the Utah Jazz, and the Oklahoma City Thunder making a deal with Nerlens Noel. The Phoenix Suns looked like they would be a prospect to sign Capela to a maximum salary deal, but they selected center Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick in this year’s draft.
Another reason Capela has had trouble finding a new suitor outside of Houston is that some teams are locked into big contracts with underperforming centers. Ian Mahinmi of the Washington Wizards is being paid $65 million over his four-year deal, Timofey Mozgov of the Orlando Magic makes $64 million on his four-year deal, and Joakim Noah makes a whopping $72.6 million over four years with the New York Knicks.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
It’s starting to become clear that Capela needs to come to grips with accepting less than a maximum salary contract or else play out the upcoming season on his qualifying offer. Decision time is coming for the Rockets’ seven-foot stud.