NBA Rumors: Robert Covington To Rockets, Clint Capela To Hawks In Proposed 3-Team Deal, Per ‘Bleacher Report’


After suffering another massive defeat from the hands of the reigning NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets will be heading into the 2019 NBA offseason with the goal of improving their roster. According to a Twitter post by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey has made all their players and future draft picks available in trade discussions.

One of the Rockets’ core players who is receiving plenty of interest on the trade market is Clint Capela. Capela has somewhat managed to show an impressive performance on both ends of the floor in the 2018-19 NBA season, but he doesn’t seem to be the man that could help the Rockets fully dominate the Western Conference and win an NBA championship title. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report suggested that the Rockets could use Capela as a trade chip to add solid three-and-D wings like Robert Covington of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Taurean Prince of the Atlanta Hawks.

“Capela has been great in Houston, but he often gets squeezed off the floor when the Rockets are forced to go small to match up with the Warriors. Already with a set backcourt, the Rockets need three-and-D wings who can run the floor and don’t need the ball in their hands to be effective. Enter Covington (13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals) and Prince (13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals), who both shot at least 37.8 percent from deep last season. Combined with PJ Tucker, the Rockets would now be loaded with defensive wings.”

In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report, the Rockets will be engaging in a three-way deal with the Hawks and the Timberwolves. The Rockets will be receiving Robert Covington, Alex Len, and a 2020 second-round pick, the Hawks will get Clint Capela, while the Timberwolves will acquire the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and Miles Plumlee. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.

The Rockets will be finally having two defensive-minded wingmen who can efficiently knock down shots from beyond the arc. Robert Covington and Taurean Prince will give the Rockets the younger versions of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, the two veteran wingmen that helped Houston forced a Game 7 against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals 2018. Alex Len may not be as good as Clint Capela right now, but when given enough playing time, the 25-year-old center could be a dominant presence under the basket.

The deal will not only be beneficial for the Rockets but also for the Hawks and the Timberwolves. Clint Capela will give the Hawks another foundation piece that could form an incredible duo with the face of the franchise, Trae Young. The suggested trade will allow the Timberwolves to open up salary cap space while acquiring a first-round selection that will enable them to add another young and promising talent on their roster.

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