Extension for Hawks big man could mean Clint Capela is on the trade block

The Hawks selected Okongwu with the No. 6 pick in 2020, selecting the then-19-year-old four months after trading for center Clint Capela. Okongwu has steadily increased his playing time and his statistical numbers the past three seasons, putting up 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks last season in a career-high 23.1 minutes per game. At the same time, Capela has been playing gradually fewer minutes.

Two years ago, the Hawks gave Capela an extension through 2024-25 that pays him more than $42 million. That means they're looking at devoting over $36 million to the center position next season, more than they likely want to. With Okongwu poised to take over and locked up for five years, Capela may become expendable.

But he's still a strong player. Capela led the league in rebounding two seasons ago, and still put up 12 points and 11 rebounds last year while shooting over 65 percent from the field. He also came up big in the Hawks' play-in wins the last two seasons, grabbing 21 boards in their win over Miami last year and 17 boards in a 2022 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

What he doesn't do is shoot from outside the paint, an advantage Okongwu has on the veteran. While he hasn't expanded his range to the three-point line quite yet, Okongwu was very comfortable on long twos, making over 40 percent of his shots between 16 feet and the three-point arc. New Hawks coach Quin Snyder led the league in three-point rate in his last two years with the Utah Jazz, so he might prefer a shooter.

Capela might also be the Hawks' best trade asset, especially for a team with a void at the center position. Like, say, the Memphis Grizzlies, who lost Steven Adams for the year with a knee injury.

Okongwu and Capela can co-exist on the Hawks. But the pairing likely won't last past the trade deadline.