After the Los Angeles Lakers had Luka Doncic fall into their laps in incredibly fortunate fashion before the mid-season trade deadline, the last thing Golden State Warriors fans want to see is their pacific rival handed another obvious gift.
Yet that's just what may happen in the wake of Kristaps Porzingis' departure from the Boston Celtics, with the Atlanta Hawks trade for the Latvian big man clearly signalling their intention to part ways with another veteran center.
The Lakers could be gifted Clint Capela in free agency
If there was any doubt over Clint Capela's departure from Atlanta this offseason, the final nail was well and truly put in his Hawks tenure by the Porzingis trade. With the 2024 NBA champion and Onyeka Okongwu on the roster, there's little need for Atlanta to consider bringing Capela back.
With the 31-year-old set to hit free agency, the Lakers appear the obvious destination given their need for a center this offseason. More specifically, there's a clear need for a proven shot-blocker who can also run the floor and take advantage of pick-and-rolls with Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Capela fits that mould in pretty straight-forward fashion, even if he's not the player he once was and who Golden State fans will strongly remember from his days with the rival Houston Rockets. The Swiss international still averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and a block per game this past season, though that actually broke a seven-year run where Capela averaged a double-double.
Capela isn't some great player or anything like that, but it should anger Warrior fans that the Lakers will likely fill their void rather easily, while Golden State's path to addressing their center position is far more complicated.
As Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard put it on Tuesday, the Warriors "could use an athletic center who, ideally, also shoots three-pointers." Coming across such a player will be difficult, particular after one potential option in Porzingis was just traded.
Golden State need a starting big to space the floor next to Draymond Green, but asking that of a second-year Quinten Post with huge defensive concerns is fraught with danger. It's those spacing concerns that makes it unlikely that the Warriors themselves would have interest in Capela, even if he does figure as a better veteran option than Kevon Looney.
Finding an upgrade to Jaxson Hayes won't be difficult for the Lakers, and turning to Capela may be just one move they make in achieving that. For the Warriors, finding an upgrade is less straight-forward given there appears no perfect solution to an issue that could make or break their championship hopes.