New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Clint Capela to Utah, Hawks Get Walker Kessler + Jordan Clarkson in Return

The Atlanta Hawks already made a big move this offseason by trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and two first-round picks. It seemed like this would be one of a handful of trades the Hawks had to make this offseason, but it’s the only one they’ve made so far. Atlanta added size and length on defense to better surround Trae Young, and they may not be done yet.

Three names are still floating around in Atlanta trade rumors: Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter and recently acquired Nance. The Hawks are struggling a bit to fit Nance, Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. Capela and Nance are on expiring contracts while Okongwu could be the center of the future. If any of these players are to be traded, who could it be?

I’d bet on Capela. Nance is versatile and can play the four if needed, while Capela is just a center. If the Hawks are considering trading Capela at this point, there aren’t many teams left. Many of the teams rumored to be interested in Capela have already acquired centers. Could the Hawks try to send Capela to a team that has cap space to absorb the final year of his contract, while also freeing up room on their cap sheet?

Two teams that fit that description stand out. The Pistons and Jazz are two teams that have cap space and could be interested in signing Capela for a year or waiting to sell him at the trade deadline. Detroit already has a lot of centers, including Jalen Duren, so I think they make less sense for Capela. On the other hand, Utah has a few pieces that could intrigue Atlanta.

It should be noted that this is just speculation and a fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, and not what I think a team should absolutely do. That’s all.

Here is the trade:

Hawks receive: Jordan Clarkson and Walker Kessler

Jazz receives: Clint Capela and a 2030 second-round pick

I don’t know if the Hawks would be interested in Clarkson, but I think they should be interested in Kessler. Kessler is a major defensive presence in the paint and would fill a need for the Hawks. I don’t think the Hawks would want to trade Capela for Kessler outright, so I included Clarkson in the deal.

This would allow the Hawks to make more money while also getting them a young shot-stopper who could play a big role in their future. Kessler has been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason.

Our own Rohan Raman explained why Kessler would be a good fit for the Hawks

“Walker Kessler had a rough season last year, but he’s still legitimately one of the best rim protectors in the league. According to the BBall Index, Kessler ranks No. 1 in rim points saved per 75 possessions among players under 25. He simply doesn’t have enough offensive skill to be anything more than a rim runner. He works well in the pick-and-roll, which is one of Young’s strengths. Sure, this could be a bad sell for him, but Utah would have enough picks to find a young center with more upside in the draft. Atlanta would get a younger, cheaper backup center with some of Capela’s skill set.”

Kessler is on a cheap contract and would give the Hawks a presence in the paint behind Onyeka Okongwu. If Kessler doesn’t improve, the Hawks won’t need to re-sign him when his rookie deal expires.

One of the things that’s been talked about since the Murray trade is that Atlanta doesn’t have an obvious secondary point guard with Trae Young. Should they rely on second-year point guard Kobe Bufkin? They still have Bogdan Bogdanovic, but they might want another shot creator and scorer, which Clarkson can do, even if he’s not good defensively.

This is a potential trade that could be a win for both sides. Atlanta gets a young, defensive presence in the paint to help elevate their defense, they get a shooter off the bench, and they save money, which they typically try to do every offseason. Utah gets back a second-round pick and an expiring contract that they could trade later.