Clint Capela’s reunion with the Houston Rockets could be short-lived.
Houston re-signed Capela to a three-year, $21.5 million contract this summer, bringing the big man back to the team that drafted him 25th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. With Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams ahead of him in the center rotation, Capela was expected to play backup minutes for the Rockets.
While Capela has been solid in spot minutes as Houston has dealt with injuries, his production hasn’t been in line with the contract he signed for this offseason. Considering his production, Capela’s contract is the most expendable on the Rockets, and he could be moved at the trade deadline to address Houston’s lack of guard depth.
Exploring Capela’s trade market
Across the board, Capela’s putting up the lowest numbers of his career since his rookie season, when he only played in 12 games. In just 11 minutes per game, Capela is averaging 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds and shooting 53.8% from the field.
Despite his drop in production, Capela has still had his moments. With Adams and Sengun out, he had an 8-point, 8-rebound game in a spot start against the Mavericks on Dec. 6. In Houston’s win over the Cavs on Sunday, Capela scored 4 points and added 8 rebounds off the bench with Sengun out.
While those types of performances from Capela are encouraging, they’re not enough to justify his contract. Some already viewed signing him as an overpay heading into the offseason, and even more now. He’s looked a step behind on the defensive end, and his athleticism has continued to decline.
The money on Capela’s contract would be better spent on a backup guard, but trading him could be difficult. His trade value is low, and it’s unlikely teams would be willing to take on Capela’s contract, especially not for a guard that could help Houston’s rotation.
His trade market might be thin, but with time to rebuild some of his value before the deadline, Capela could be sacrificed to address one of Houston’s biggest weaknesses.