Despite his constant connection to the Los Angeles Lakers as a potential offseason target, Clint Capela is not the right guy to be their starting center. Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints noted that he's rumored to be a potential target for LA. Just last year, he got benched by the Atlanta Hawks in favor of Onyeka Okongwu, and while he can still provide some decent rotation minutes, he’s not the same player he once was.
Last season, Capela appeared in 55 games for the Hawks, playing 21.4 minutes per contest. He averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 55.9% from the field. The Lakers should want more.
Capela just isn’t the best guy for the job.
What’s wrong with Clint Capela?
Nothing. But it’s also not as clear-cut of a signing as it may seem.
Capela’s numbers last season were fine, but it’s the trend of stats that should concern Lakers fans intrigued by the idea of bringing him on board next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
His 8.9 points per game is his lowest scoring average since his sophomore season in 2015-16. The 8.5 rebounds he grabbed are the fewest since 2017-18. And to top it off, his 1.0 blocks and 55.9% shooting from the field are the lowest numbers he’s logged in those categories since his rookie year.
Even his minutes are at an all-time low for this stage of his career. He hasn’t played fewer than 21.4 minutes per game since his second season in the NBA.
Capela is still only 31 years old, but it seems fairly obvious that his career is on somewhat of a downward trend. His play style relies heavily on athleticism, burst, and jumping. All of those things tend to worsen with age.
As a backup center option, Capela would be perfect. But as the Lakers’ full-time solution to the starting center role? He isn’t the right fit.
Who should the Lakers get instead of Clint Capela?
There are plenty of better options who could be available to the Lakers this summer. A quick glance at the trade market reveals a few interesting names.
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford could be available, and he already has some built-in chemistry with Doncic. Los Angeles could revisit the Walker Kessler rumors. If the Utah Jazz are looking to make changes this summer, he could still be an option.
Even Domantas Sabonis could be an option if the Sacramento Kings want to blow up their roster, though he may not be the best fit with Doncic and James.
And then there’s the free-agent market. Guys like Steven Adams, Brook Lopez, and Luke Kornet would all be solid targets for LA.