Clint Capela Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Capela, Stephenson, Jazz

July 10th, 2018 at 9:33pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Rockets and Clint Capela may not be that far apart in negotiations toward a new deal, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) is hearing that the team’s initial offer was not as low as previously reported. Sources tell Feigen that the July 1 offer was for $85MM over five years with Capela having the ability to earn up to $90MM based on incentives.

Rumors claiming the center wanted an offer in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years, similar to Steven Adams‘ pact, surfaced recently. Previous reports had Houston offering approximately $60MM over four years.

One source tells Feigen that the Rockets are optimistic about reaching a deal. Houston has the ability to match any offer, as Capela is a restricted free agent.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Magic Johnson said he consulted LeBron James before bringing Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and JaVale McGee to the Lakers, as Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet relays (Twitter link). “LeBron’s won championships, been to eight straight Finals. You think Rob [Pelinka] and I are not going to ask him? No, we’re going to definitely ask him his opinion because he knows those players better than us,” Johnson said.
Stephenson said the Lakers want him to “bring intensity” every night, as Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell passes along (Twitter link). The 27-year-old wing officially signed his one-year deal today.
Chemistry was a major reason why the Jazz decided to keep their core intact. “Chemistry is a hard thing,” GM Dennis Lindsey said (via the Associated Press). “It’s a hard thing to predict. You can get five great people in the room and have it just not click for whatever reason, so we didn’t want to overthink that.”

Rockets Rumors: Capela, Luxury Tax, Anthony

July 10th, 2018 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of multiple reports suggesting that the Rockets and Clint Capela aren’t close to reaching a new deal, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com provides some specific details on the negotiations between the two sides.

Sources tell MacMahon that Houston’s initial offer to Capela was in the neighborhood of $60MM for four years. However, the young center is believed to be seeking a deal similar to the one Steven Adams signed with the Thunder — $100MM over four years.

Accepting an offer in the $60-70MM range would mean earning a lower annual salary than several lesser centers around the NBA, so it makes sense that Capela would be seeking a larger deal. Still, he’ll have to be careful about overplaying his hand. Only the Hawks and Kings still have the cap room necessary to top a $15MM-per-year offer, and neither club seems eager to use its remaining space on a center.

Capela could accept his qualifying offer and hope for stronger outside offers as an unrestricted free agent next summer, but that’s a risky move. That qualifying offer is worth less than $5MM, so if Capela suffers a major injury during the 2018/19 season – like DeMarcus Cousins did in a contract year – he’d regret not having accepted Houston’s best long-term proposal.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Although the Rockets have already lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in free agency, new team owner Tilman Fertitta is adamant that the luxury tax isn’t influencing Houston’s roster decisions, as MacMahon details. “We know we’re going to be in the luxury tax, and if you want to compete for a championship, I feel like unless you get real lucky, you’re going to be in the luxury tax,” Fertitta said on Monday. “So it is what it is. … It never even came up in any discussion.”
General manager Daryl Morey acknowledged that the Ariza and Mbah a Moute departures will hurt, but sounds optimistic that the team will find a way to fill those newly-created roster holes. “Both Trevor and Mbah a Moute were a big part of our team,” Morey said, per MacMahon. “That’s part of my job and our staff’s job is to put together a new group for this year. We feel confident. We need our best team on April 15. We’re going to either sign or trade or something to get us back to where we need to be, and we also really like our group.”
Fertitta also expressed confidence about the Rockets’ roster: “We feel like we were a Chris Paul injury away from being in the Finals, and we feel really good about this year. I think come opening night, I think everybody’s going to be really impressed with the team that we have on the floor.”
Within MacMahon’s piece, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms that the Rockets plan to pursue Carmelo Anthony once he’s waived or bought out by Oklahoma City. Many executives around the NBA reportedly view Houston as the frontrunner to land Anthony, and Wojnarowski noted in a tweet that the Rockets are “determined” to sign him.

Rockets, Clint Capela Far Apart On Contract Negotiations

July 8th, 2018 at 9:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Restricted free agent Clint Capela remains without a deal and there’s a major difference between the Rockets‘ financial valuation of Capela and what the center believes he is worth, as sources tell Kelly Iko of RocketsWire.

Shortly after free agency began, the Rockets met with Capela in Los Angeles and their initial offer was similar to the four-year, $53MM deal that Jusuf Nurkic received from the Blazers, according to Iko’s two sources. Capela may be seeking a contract in the realm of four years and $80MM, close to the deal that Zach LaVine just inked.

Houston wants to keep Capela, though the franchise prefers not to overpay. Capela’s camp may be hard pressed to find a lucrative deal on the open market, with several thought-to-be suitors going in different directions. The Mavs opted to sign DeAndre Jordan; The Suns have their center of the future in Deandre Ayton; and the Lakers, a team that also met with Capela last week, exhausted most of their cap space on LeBron James and a cast of veterans.

The Hawks are roughly $20MM under the salary cap, putting them in position to make a sizable offer. However, Atlanta is reportedly focused on using its cap space to acquire player-friendly contracts in exchange for assets. The Kings have slightly less cap room than the Hawks, but pairing Capela with No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III in the frontcourt would be an awkward fit, and Sacramento has other bigs it likes, such as Harry Giles.

Capela is the top remaining free agent left on the market, according to our 2018 rankings. The big man was ranked No. 6 overall, coming in behind LBJ, Durant, Nikola Jokic, Paul George, and teammate Chris Paul.

Free Agent Rumors: Mbah A Moute, Capela, Nwaba

July 6th, 2018 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

While the Rockets secured their top target in free agency over the weekend when they reached a four-year, maximum-salary contract agreement with Chris Paul, the club has plenty of other free agents to address.

Houston agreed to re-sign Gerald Green, but lost Trevor Ariza to Phoenix, increasing the pressure to re-sign Luc Mbah a Moute. For his part, Mbah a Moute is very open to a return, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

“Of course, I want to be here, yeah,” Mbah a Moute said. “I think we had a great year last year. I had a good year. The team did great, a game away from the Finals. Hopefully, we’ll bring everybody back. I know Trevor left. But to bring everybody else back and have the same team and try to go at it again, (that) is what I’m hoping to do. We’ll see what happens.”

Here are a few other free agent notes and rumors, including more on the Rockets:

Clint Capela is perhaps the top free agent still on the board, and his restricted free agency will be fascinating to watch. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported earlier this week that – after meeting with the Rockets – Capela’s agent called at least 10 teams around the league, perhaps exploring whether any club might be willing to do an offer sheet (Twitter link via Ben DuBose). However, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando hears from a source that potential suitors are wary of Houston matching any offer.
Cauchi’s source suggests that Capela may be leaning toward signing his qualifying offer, which would allow the big man to become an unrestricted free agent and sign with any team in 2019. Of course, that could be a negotiating tactic — if the Rockets are worried about the possibility of Capela bolting a year from now, it may push them to increase their current offer to him. For what it’s worth, the initial offer from Houston was considered “disappointing” by Capela’s camp, according to Cauchi’s source.
Bulls restricted free agent David Nwaba has received a “barrage” of interest from around the NBA, tweets Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports. We heard earlier this week that Chicago was open to sign-and-trade offers for Nwaba.
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com passes along some chatter on free agency from NBA executives at the Utah Summer League this week, while Sean Deveney of The Sporting News identifies some of free agency’s winners and losers so far.

DeMarcus Cousins Rumors: Lakers, Rockets, More

July 4th, 2018 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMarcus Cousins‘ free agent decision probably won’t ultimately have the same impact as LeBron James‘ move to the Lakers, but Cousins’ agreement with the Warriors has generated even more discussion over the past couple days based on the shock factor. While many NBA observers expected James to land in L.A., few saw Boogie heading to the reigning champions.

We’ve already relayed several sets of Cousins-related notes, rumors, and other leftovers, but they continue to trickle in today, so we’ve got a few more to round up. Let’s dive in…

The Lakers are fans of Cousins, but felt like they had to pass on him this year because they want to be as competitive as possible in 2018/19 and couldn’t afford to wait on the big man’s recovery from his torn Achilles, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter links). Cousins is trying to make it back for training camp, but is expected to be sidelined until December or January.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe echoes Stein’s sentiment, tweeting that the Lakers never had serious interest in acquiring Cousins this summer, even after trade talks for Kawhi Leonard stalled (at least for now). Stein had reported last night that the Lakers had the opportunity to sign Cousins “at a one-year price point similar to the one that landed him in Golden State.”
According to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link), the Rockets – who also theoretically could have offered Cousins the taxpayer mid-level exception – didn’t consider him a good fit, and had “zero interest.” Amick and Lowe (Twitter links) both point out that not being guaranteed a starting spot may not have appealed to Cousins anyway. Houston remains “all-in” on starting center Clint Capela and plans to match any offer sheet he signs, Amick notes.
In a full article for USA Today, Amick explores the history of notable NBA players suffering Achilles injuries, examining how Cousins’ career might be impacted going forward.

Lakers To Meet With Clint Capela

July 1st, 2018 at 1:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers will meet with Clint Capela today, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link). Aldridge adds that the team is working on multiple scenarios in regard to its free agency planning.

The Rockets are also meeting with the big man today in Los Angeles. The center is widely expected to return to Houston, as the team has the ability to match an offer sheet he receives.

The five spot appears to be a position of priority for the Lakers, as they reached out to DeMarcus Cousins just hours after free agency began. While no date has been set, a formal meeting is expected to be held between the two parties.

President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson promised to bring top talent to the Lakers and he’s leaving no stone unturned in his quest to do so. However, the team has yet to reach an agreement with any of the top free agents. Los Angeles saw Paul George shun the franchise and though the Lakers are considered the favorites to land LeBron James, it’s no lock that he comes to town, as the Sixers are courting him and using the potential Kawhi Leonard pairing as a selling point.

Capela had his most efficient season to date during the 2017/18 campaign, making 65.2% of his attempts while sporting a player efficiency rating of 24.5. Only five players rank ahead of the 24-year-old in our 2018 Free Agency rankings.

Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Capela, Pelicans, Hood

July 1st, 2018 at 1:59am CST by Luke Adams

While several key free agents – including Paul George and Chris Paul – reached agreements in the early hours of free agency, LeBron James wasn’t among that group. Still, there’s a little news on James.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (via Twitter), Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman spoke to both James and agent Rich Paul on the phone when free agency began. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com first reported (via Twitter) that the discussion was expected to happen.

The specifics of that conversation aren’t known, but the Cavaliers are still believed to be in the mix to sign the summer’s top free agent, though the Lakers are widely considered favorites.

Here are a few more free agent updates from around the NBA:

The Rockets‘ front office will meet with Clint Capela and his representatives on Sunday in Los Angeles, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Capela figures to be Houston’s top priority in free agency now that the team has reached a deal with Chris Paul.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps has asked some of his current players to reach out to free agent Tyreke Evans about the possibility of returning to New Orleans, tweets John Martin of 92.9 ESPN. Evans would be a mid-level exception candidate for the Pels.
Rodney Hood received calls from approximately six teams early in free agency, sources tell Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Hood is a restricted free agent, so the Cavaliers can match any offer sheet he signs.
The Timberwolves, Rockets, Knicks, and Spurs have all shown interest in Trevor Booker, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, who tweets that a return to the Pacers is also still in play for the veteran forward.
Tyrone Wallace, who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Clippers, has generated interest from about a half-dozen teams, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Wallace received a qualifying offer from the Clips, who will be able to match any offer sheet he signs.

Rockets Extend Qualifying Offer To Clint Capela

June 29th, 2018 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets extended a qualifying offer to center Clint Capela, making him a restricted free agent, Keith Smith of RealGM tweets.

Capela’s qualifying offer is worth $4,749,591. The move was a mere formality, since Capela has emerged as their most important frontcourt component.

Capela averaged 13.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG and 1.9 BPG in his fourth season. He was a finalist for the league’s Most Improved Player award.

The Rockets might have an easier time than expected locking up Capela. There aren’t many teams who are both looking for a center and have enough cap room to put together a serious offer sheet. The Mavericks, who are in the market for a quality big man, have their sights set on DeAndre Jordan. The Suns were a possibility until they drafted Deandre Ayton.

The Rockets also gave two-way player Markel Brown a qualifying offer, making the 6’3” guard a restricted free agent as well.

Mavs Looking To Acquire DeAndre Jordan

June 28th, 2018 at 1:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 28, 1:42pm: Jordan is the Mavericks’ primary target as free agency approaches, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. According to MacMahon, if a trade agreement can’t be reached and the veteran center declines his option, Dallas plans to pursue him aggressively as a free agent. The interest between Jordan and the Mavs is mutual, sources tell MacMahon.

JUNE 27, 9:28pm: The Mavericks are engaged in talks with the Clippers to acquire center DeAndre Jordan this week, sources told Marc Stein of the New York Times.

This is a case of forgive and forget, as Jordan notoriously backed out on a free-agent deal with Dallas during the summer of 2015 to stay in L.A.

Jordan has a Friday night deadline to decide whether to exercise his $24.1MM player option for next season. If he opts in, Dallas can trade for him before free agency begins on Sunday. Swingman Wesley Matthews and his $18.6MM contract would likely be the centerpiece of any offer, according to Stein.

If Jordan opts out, Dallas could pursue him in free agency along with two other centers, unrestricted free agent DeMarcus Cousins and restricted free agent Clint Capela.

The Clippers have granted permission to Jordan and agent Jeff Schwartz to explore trade scenarios with other teams. It’s a similar scenario to All-Star guard Chris Paul opting in with the team and then getting traded to the Rockets last summer.

Dallas passed on drafting a big man last Thursday and instead made a deal with the Hawks for EuroLeague guard Luka Doncic.

Victor Oladipo Captures Most Improved Award

June 25th, 2018 at 8:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo was named the league’s Most Improved Player award, it was announced during the NBA’s annual awards broadcast.

He beat out Rockets center Clint Capela and Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, as expected. Oladipo blossomed into a star after getting dealt by the Thunder in the Paul George blockbuster.

Oladipo averaged 23.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 5.2 APG while leading the Pacers to the playoffs, where they pushed the Cavaliers to the brink before succumbing in seven games. He also shot a career-best 47.7% from the field and 37.1% from 3-point range.

Oladipo had never averaged more than 17.9 PPG in his previous four seasons.