Clint Capela may take qualifying offer, become unrestricted free agent in 2019
The Houston Rockets’ negotiations with restricted free agent center Clint Capela do not appear to be too encouraging.
Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reported on Thursday that the Rockets did not have a very positive meeting with the Swiss big man. Cauchi also adds that Capela is seriously weighing the possibility of taking the one-year qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Capela, 24, averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game last season, leading the league with a 65.2 field goal percentage. While those are certainly big contract-worthy numbers, the Rockets may be a bit strapped for cash after re-signing Chris Paul to a massive four-year, $160 million deal.
With few teams armed with the cap space to pay him his worth right now, Capela might be smart to hold out until next summer when pockets could be deeper and when the Rockets will no longer have matching rights. But having already lost Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns this summer, Houston can ill afford to risk losing another one of their best weapons for competing against (and trash talking) the Golden State Warriors.
