Another key member of the Atlanta Hawks has tied his future to the franchise, with Clint Capela agreeing on a two-year, $46 million contract extension. Capela had two years left on his current deal, but that contract has now been stretched until the 2024-25 season with the said extension, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Capela is now set to earn a whopping $82 million over the next four seasons with the Hawks. Capela's representatives at Wasserman managed to complete the new deal with Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk ahead of the October 18 deadline for the extension.
Capela nets extension after fantastic 2020-21 season
The Hawks decided to extend Capela's contract after his outstanding performance last season for Atlanta. He was a double-double machine in the regular season, averaging 15.2 points and a league-best 14.3 rebounds per game. Capela also made 59.4 percent of his field goal attempts, marking the sixth consecutive season he shot 58.0 percent or better from the field.
Capela made his presence felt in the postseason, averaging 10.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 18 playoffs games this year. He anchored the defense of a Hawks team that made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They eliminated both the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers on the road to reach the Eastern Finals for the first time since 2015.
They came to within two victories of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1961, but Trae Young's freak ankle injury derailed their progress as they eventually lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
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Hawks keep Young-Collins-Capela trio intact
Given their unprecedented success last season, the Hawks top brass made it their main goal to keep their young core intact this offseason. They first splashed the cash on franchise guard Trae Young, handing the 22-year-old superstar a mammoth five-year, $207 million extension.
The Hawks then took care of John Collins, giving the 23-year old forward a lucrative five-year contract worth $125 million. Collins, who spent the first four years of his career with the Hawks, averaged 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds during that stretch for Atlanta.
They then bolstered their front court this offseason, acquiring center Tristan Thompson via a trade with the Boston Celtics and adding forward Gorgui Dieng via free agency. They will provide much-needed support to Capela, who has developed into one of the best centers in the league.
The Switzerland native owns career averages of 12.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 397 regular season games played in the NBA. He spent the first six seasons of his NBA career with the Houston Rockets before the Hawks acquired him in a trade last year, a decision that has paid immediate dividends for the Atlanta franchise.
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