Celtics Reportedly Engaged in 'Serious' Trade Talks With Rockets for Clint Capela
By Daniel Lubofsky
With so much hype heading into the 2018-19 NBA season, the Boston Celtics fell flat with a 49-33 record and a five-game defeat in the second round of the postseason.
Among the many things that plagued the C's all season long was the lack of a true interior presence at the center position. Boston ranked just 22nd during the regular season in total rebounds per game with Al Horford lacking in size and Aron Baynes unable to to see more than 16.1 minutes of nightly action.
To remedy this weakness, the Celtics were reportedly in talks with the Houston Rockets regarding center Clint Capela.
The Celtics from what I have heard engaged pretty seriously on Clint Capella... have had some level of talks with Terry Rozier on a new deal. Everything is very fluid at this stage in the draft/trade process. It's finding out what you can do. https://t.co/7kHmEWP6X1
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) June 9, 2019
A lanky and athletic big man, Capela averaged 12.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game this past season. He put up a career-high 16.6 points per game as well.
This would suggest that the Celtics are no longer pursuing Anthony Davis, at least in the mean time, with Kyrie Irving's future in Boston also unclear. With the Rockets willing to part ways with most assets on the roster (virtually anyone not named James Harden), a potential deal could certainly be reached here.
? The #Celtics are rumored to be "engaged pretty seriously" in trade talks surrounding Rockets center, Clint Capela.
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) June 9, 2019
DETAILS ?https://t.co/yMuiWAJsrn pic.twitter.com/N5KWr8UEcw
Capela is coming off the first season of a five-year, $90 million deal with the Rockets, but could already be shown the exit door by the franchise.
Boston still has a handful of draft assets and some young players on the roster they could use in a swap with the Rockets, but it remains to be seen how they will absorb his massive contract.