Ever since the Hawks traded for Clint Capela during the middle of the 2019-2020 season, he has been the Hawks best defensive player and a core piece of their team. He was arguably a defensive player of the year candidate in 2020-2021 and has been consistent for them on the glass and on defense. However, Capela is heading into the last year of his contract and was in the middle of trade rumors for a portion of the offseason.

Atlanta drafted Onyeka Okongwu with the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and while Okongwu has flashed plenty of upside, Atlanta still does not know if he is their long-term answer at the position. The Hawks got veteran big man Larry Nance in the trade for Dejounte Murray and have depth at the position and Capela’s future seems murky, even though the Hawks are not just going to give him away. Could they wait to trade him at the trade deadline or just let him play out the remainder of his contract? Bleacher Report NBA analyst Greg Swartz named Capela as one of the players that might leave after the season:

“Clint Capela has been a rock-solid starting center for the Atlanta Hawks the past four years, although future financial restrictions and the emergence of Onyeka Okongwu could be spelling the end for the veteran center in the ATL.

Capela is on an expiring $22.3 million contract and averaged 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks and shot 57.1 percent overall last season, his seventh straight year with a double-double average. The Hawks are currently committing $51 million to the center position this season between Capela, Okongwu, Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller, however, and are just $1.2 million below the luxury tax line.

At some point, Okongwu needs to become the starting center in Atlanta.

The 23-year-old put up 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from three in his eight starts last season and is beginning a team-friendly, four-year, $62 million contract that could look like one of the better deals in the NBA very soon.

An expensive extension for Jalen Johnson is likely going to be agreed upon and kick in next season, and the combination of Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović will earn $85.3 million in 2025-26 alone.

Re-signing Capela, as good of a player as he is, no longer makes sense for the Hawks unless he takes a significant pay cut.

Expect the 30-year-old to pursue a starting job elsewhere.”

It would be pretty surprising to see Capela back in Atlanta after this season, even if he does not get traded. He is aging and the Hawks seem like they want to be younger at the position. They have Okongwu and there was a lot of buzz before the draft of them being interested in UConn center Donovan Clingan. Nothing should be ruled out in the NBA, but the Hawks bringing Capela back would be surprising.