NBA Trade Rumors: Exploring three different and unique ways the Dallas Mavericks could land Clint Capela from Atlanta Hawks via trade.
Heading into the dog days of the NBA offseason, there’s still a chance we could see a few more “big” moves before the start of training camps. But I’m not talking about just the possibility of Damian Lillard and James Harden deals. While there’s a growing expectation that both of those trades will eventually happen, there are a few other “big” deals that can also take place between now and the start of the season.
One of those “other” big trades that could take place over the next few weeks involves Clint Capela. According to a recent report, there’s a belief around the league that the Atlanta Hawks are still looking or are open to trading Capela before the start of the season. Atlanta has been going through somewhat of a retooling and Capela could be the next name on the move.
Clint Capela to the Dallas Mavericks makes the most sense
If that’s something the Hawks do end up pursuing proactively, it’s easy to see why the Dallas Mavericks are a team that makes the most sense as a potential landing spot for Capela. For one, Capela is a team that the Mavs have been linked to in the past. And after parting ways with Christian Wood this offseason, the Mavs have had a difficult time finding a replacement.
There’s a path toward Capela emerging as that replacement.
With time for a deal to come to fruition, we explore three different ways the Mavs could potentially land Capela via trade.
Trade offer No. 1: A straight-up swap between the Hawks and Mavs
In this first potential offer, the Atlanta Hawks would be trying to slash some of their salary in a potential Tim Hardaway Jr. for Clint Capela swap. It’s not a huge reduction but at this point, any little bit would help. Hardaway doesn’t necessarily make a ton of sense for Atlanta in the long-term but it could open the door for them to possibly be more willing to move Bogdan Bogdanovic in a future deal.
The Hawks would probably get a better return for Bogdanovic (as they continue to rebuild) and Hardaway would give the Hawks some depth in the backcourt that they don’t have at the moment. If they wanted, the Hawks could even choose to trade Hardaway at the NBA Trade Deadline or even next offseason when he officially becomes an expiring contract.
It’s easy to see why this makes sense for the Mavs. After re-signing Kyrie Irving, the Mavs have more than enough scoring punch in the backcourt. If they could swap Hardaway for a rim-protecting big that would also help on the offensive end to a certain extent, the decision is quite easy.
Trade offer No. 2: Clint Capela for draft capital
In a second possible deal that the Dallas Mavericks could offer the Atlanta Hawks, Maxi Kleber and JaVale McGee would be sent to the Hawks to cross the salary boxes. The Mavs would offer up a slightly protected 2027 first-round pick in order to make this deal happen and sweeten the offer for Atlanta. In exchange, the Hawks would send Clint Capela to Dallas. Full disclosure, if the Hawks are able to get a first-round pick for Capela, it would be a huge win for the team.
At least in my opinion, if they were already offered that, I don’t see how this deal isn’t done yet. Expectedly, this is what I believe the deal hinges on. If the Mavs are winning to include a first-round pick, they will get Capela. After that, they could probably get a deal done by just matching salary without much else. However, from all indications, that doesn’t appear to be something the Mavs have been all too willing to do.
Capela does make the most sense for the Mavs, so it’s easy to understand why the Hawks continue to wait them out. This is just one potential scenario that could play out in the next couple of weeks.
Trade offer No. 3: Moving Josh Green in a big deal
In this final trade offer, the Dallas Mavericks could try and get a bit more creative. However, this possibility largely hinges on the Mavs’ willingness to part ways with Josh Green. At least for now, that may be a non-starter for Dallas. Green is an intriguing prospect that has gotten better and better in each of his first three seasons in the league. This past season, Green averaged nine points and three rebounds on 54 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range.
There’s even a chance that he ends up starting next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving when the season starts, depending on how the Mavs want to use Tim Hardaway Jr. this season. But maybe the Mavs would be open to trading Green, Maxi Kleber, and JaVale McGee to the Hawks in exchange for Clint Capela and a lightly protected future first-round pick?
Maybe that would be enough for the Mavs to move off their stance on Green, who will have the opportunity to test restricted free agency next summer?
I wouldn’t say a Capela to Mavs trade is likely but it does make plenty of sense and there are several avenues in which a deal can get done.