The New York Knicks are apparently still active this offseason exploring options at center.
With Isaiah Hartenstein leaving as a free agent, the Knicks’ only centers with NBA experience are the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson and the rarely used Jericho Sims. The Knicks are expected to look to add another center to round out an otherwise solid roster.
According to Ian Begley of SNYThe Knicks have had trade talks with the Atlanta Hawks regarding center Clint Capela.
“Atlanta’s Clint Capela was one of the big players the Knicks went after,” Begley said. “I don’t know how far the negotiations went. I don’t know if they’re active right now. But they were interested in Capela. You can infer that Mitchell Robinson probably would have been in that trade.”
Capela, like Robinson, is a rim-running center who excels in the pick-and-roll on offense and can protect the rim on defense. In four seasons in Atlanta, Capela has put up strong numbers, averaging 12 points, 12 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
While he’s 30 years old and may not be as physical a presence as Robinson, he does offer one advantage: He’s available to play more often. Capela has played at least 63 games in eight of the past nine seasons and more than 70 in four of them. Robinson has topped 70 games just once in his career and has played in just 31 games in two of the past four seasons.
The Hawks seem like a natural trade partner for the Knicks as they appear to be entering a rebuilding or restructuring era. The Hawks already have three centers on the roster: Capela, Onyeka Okungwu and Larry Nance Jr., who came to the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade earlier in the offseason.
At 23, Okungwu appears to be the center of the Hawks’ future, especially with Capela in the final year of his contract.
Nance Jr., while smaller than Capela, would also be an excellent option for the Knicks.
However, as Begley noted, because of the need for the two teams to match salaries, Robinson would presumably be the one to go. But Capela makes $22 million to Robinson’s $14 million, so an additional $8 million in salary would be needed.
Instead of Robinson, the Knicks could look to sign and trade Precious Achiuwa by offering him the same salary as Capela to make the trade work. However, the Hawks would presumably want to get assets back in that deal, so New York would have to find a way to sweeten the deal.
The Knicks and Hawks could also find a third team to help facilitate the deal.
As Begley said, it’s unclear how far the negotiations have gone and whether they’re continuing. But the Hawks remain a natural trade partner for a team in need of a center, and Capela can offer a slight upgrade over Robinson or an excellent addition to the center rotation.
