The Los Angeles Lakers may already have a play called in the huddle to address their paper-thin frontcourt.
Veteran NBA big man Clint Capela is expected to “sit pretty high” atop the Lakers’ target board in free agency this offseason, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported this week. Irwin adds that Capela is considered to be “within reach” at $5.7 million (which is the value of the taxpayer’s midlevel exception that the Lakers will have at their disposal this summer).
Capela, 31, is an 11-year NBA veteran who led the league in rebounding during the 2020-21 campaign with 14.3 per game. Though Capela is slightly undersized for a center at 6-foot-10, his energy (especially on the offensive glass and as a rim protector) would be a real asset to the Lakers at this point.
With the Atlanta Hawks this season, Capela averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. Atlanta phased out Capela towards the second half of the season (replacing him in their starting lineup with 24-year-old Onyeka Okongwu), and now Capela will be free to leave as an unrestricted free agent if he so chooses.
Meanwhile, the Lakers sacrificed their depth down low by trading away Anthony Davis as part of the Luka Doncic blockbuster last February. As a result, they opted to go small for extended stretches during the first-round playoff loss to Minnesota (and managed to alienate one of the only true centers left on their roster in the process).
The Lakers might want to shoot for a younger and higher-ceiling big man than Capela, especially since there are some options for them on the trade market. But for the $5.7 million MLE, Capela makes for a strong candidate.
