By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After five years with the Atlanta Hawks, Clint Capela is returning to his home of six years, the Houston Rockets.
The 31-year-old Swiss center will be traded to the Rockets for a second-round pick swap in the 2031 NBA draft and cash, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, after signing a fully guaranteed three-year, 21.5 million dollar contract as an unrestricted free agent, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
The deal further limits available options in the center position for other teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, seeking a boost in the paint to strengthen their championship bid. With 40-year-old LeBron James determined to be part of a contending team, in his current situation or elsewhere, Capela being removed from the table of available free agents, following Brook Lopez, is a massive blow.
In a similar situation, looking to power up the 2025-26 squad around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks retained free agents Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince on two-year contracts worth 7.5 million and 7.1 million, per Charania.
Meanwhile, Bosnian Luka Garza is moving to the Boston Celtics as an unrestricted free agent, as reported by Charania on Monday evening, after being released from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Beyond the deal surrounding Capela, the Hawks traded a second-round draft pick in 2027 and cash to the Wolves for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and signed the Canadian winger to a four-year, 62 million contract, per Charania. Also, they reached an agreement with Luke Kennard on a one-year, 11 million contract, according to Charania.
Elsewhere in the league, Jordan Clarkson reached a buyout agreement with the Utah Jazz and is expected to sign with the New York Knicks, per Charania.