Rockets can’t afford to let Clint Capela become an unrestricted free agent
The Houston Rockets don’t want to overpay Clint Capela this summer, but they need to do everything they can to keep him from hitting the open market in 2019.
There’s trouble brewing between the Houston Rockets and Clint Capela. Daryl Morey and company want to keep their versatile center, but only if the price is right. The truth is, letting him become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 would be a big problem for Houston.
If the two sides can’t come to a long-term contract agreement soon, Capela may be forced to pick up his $4.7 million qualifying offer. If that happens, he’ll hit the open market next summer. That means the Rockets would be lose the ability to match an offer from another team.
Sources in Houston claim Capela would prefer to sign a long-term deal with the Rockets, but he hasn’t received an offer he believes is fair as of yet. The team are in a pretty tough spot here. They’re already well into the luxury tax after handing a massive contract extension to Chris Paul. Any money they commit to Capela will only compound their tax problems.
In normal free agent markets, Capela could just go out and sign a big offer sheet with another team. Unfortunately, he’s on the restricted free agent market at a terrible time. The value for NBA centers is at an all-time low. Teams are also short on cap space. There are zero teams willing and able to sign Capela to a contract that might actually pry him away from the Rockets.
That explains why the Rockets are playing hardball with Capela, but it doesn’t make it the right policy for the team. The unfortunate truth for Houston is they can’t afford to let Capela leave. He’s the only big man on their roster capable of staying on the floor against teams like the Warriors. Paul and James Harden give the Rockets a dynamic backcourt, but Capela is the anchor of their front line.
Capela’s ability to both switch and defend the rim do a lot to cover up the defensive weaknesses of his teammates. There just aren’t many other players with that skill set in the league. Those that do exist, are locked up with long-term contracts. It’s not as if the Rockets can simply sign Capela’s replacement in the summer of 2019 if he walks.
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The solution for the Rockets is to give Capela a contract close to what he’s asking for. That will require the team to overpay Capela in terms of the 2018 market, but it’s a deal that should look better when salaries skyrocket again next summer. Retaining him will cost the Rockets a fortune, but that’s the price of being a legitimate NBA title contender. Letting him go would return Houston to the middle class of the Western Conference.