By: Marselis Davis
The Dallas Mavericks have a busy upcoming offseason on their hands. After surprisingly missing the playoffs, the Mavericks need to improve the roster quickly in order to keep their franchise superstar in Luka Doncic happy. One way in which the team is seeking to improve the roster is by signing a quality center.
There have been a handful of centers that the Mavericks have had their eyes on. Some of these centers include the Suns’ seven-footer Deandre and the Pacers’ rim protector Myles Turner. Now, the Hawks starting center Clint Capela is a trade target for the Dallas Mavericks.
If the Mavericks were to acquire Clint Capela, the biggest asset that he would provide is rebounding. In the last three seasons, Capela has ranked amongst the top five in rebounds per game each year. He even led the league in rebounds in 2021. As one of the best rebounders in the league, Capela would be a much better option at the center position than the Mavericks’ current center in Dwight Powell. He would be able to lift the Mavericks from ranking at the bottom of the league in team rebounding.
Another attribute that Capela would provide is rim protection. While he is not an All-Defensive caliber defender, Capela still serves as a great rim protector, as he has averaged over a block per game in every year of his career besides his rookie season. This would likely give a good boost to the Mavericks’ defensive rating. Also, it would maximize the offensive talent of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving when their elite offense is no longer counterbalanced by poor defense.
On the offensive side of the court, Capela would also be very useful as a lob threat. On the Atlanta Hawks, one of their most frequent and efficient plays was to run pick and rolls with Trae Young and Clint Capela in which Young would throw alley-oops to Capela. With Doncic’s incredible playmaking abilities, Capela would be perfect alongside him as a big man that can finish lobs from Doncic.
Some drawbacks of this potential trade would be that Capela does not provide shooting of any kind, whether at the three-point line or in the mid-range area. This would mean that the Mavericks’ would need to make sure that they have other floor spacers to prevent defenders from completely ignoring Capela and focusing excessive defensive pressure on Doncic or Irving.
Similar to the previously stated drawback, Capela is also a poor free throw shooter. In the last three seasons, he has averaged a dismal 54.8% from the free throw line. The Mavericks ranked 23rd this season in free throw percentage, which means they are already not a good free throw shooting team and Capela would worsen that.
So far, the trade talks between the Mavericks and Hawks have not gone anywhere substantial. The Hawks are more interested in trading away John Collins to the Mavericks than Capela, which would not help the Mavericks with their defense or rebounding that much.
If the Mavericks managed to land Capela, it would likely be a perfect fit for the team. It addresses their biggest weaknesses with rebounding and defense, while also pairing Doncic with a great pick-and-roll partner. In the aftermath of the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft, the trade talks between the Hawks and Mavericks may develop further.
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