Knicks insider confirms team inquired about trade for rival veteran center

Over three weeks have passed since Isaiah Hartenstein left the New York Knicks for the Thunder (and way more money). Since then, the Knicks have been linked to several centers but haven't added another big man to the roster.

Last week, SNY's Ian Begley reported that New York has had "casual trade talks" for a "high-salaried veteran center."

On Thursday, Begley said that Clint Capela is one of the centers the Knicks inquired about.

"Clint Capela, of Atlanta, was one big that the Knicks checked in on. I don't know how far talks went, and I don't know if they're active at this very point, but they did check in on Capela. You can infer that Mitchell Robinson would've probably been in that trade because Capela is a starting center. Or, maybe the Knicks would've said Robinson and Capela could be our platoon at center this season."

- Ian Begley, SNY

Capela is entering the final season of his current contract and will make $22.3 million in 2024-25.

Begley confirms Knicks reached out to Hawks about Clint Capela trade

The Hawks center averaged 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game (73 starts) last season, shooting 57.1% from the field. He's averaged a double-double for seven straight seasons.

As Begley said, there's reason to believe New York would part with Robinson in a Capela trade, as both are starting centers. The most significant advantage Capela has over Robinson is his availability. He's played at least 63 games a season since arriving in Atlanta in 2020. Robinson's coming off a season where he matched his career-low with 31 games because of ankle surgery.

On Thursday, ESPN's Zach Lowe reported that Capela is "on the trade market" (subscription required). The center's future was a hot topic of conversation before the 2024 trade deadline, but he stayed put in Atlanta for the second half of the season. Now, it seems as if he could be on the move before next season starts.

Capela's production has dipped in recent seasons, but he'd still be a serviceable option for the Knicks. The question is: Would Capela be worth giving up Robinson if it came down to that?