More than a week since free agency started, the Houston Rockets’ Clint Capela is still on the market. Despite being heralded as one of the top big men in this year’s free agent crop, Capela has not received an offer sheet from any team and negotiations with the Rockets have been fairly quiet until recently. And for good reason.
For the other 29 teams, they either don’t have the money to make a run for the 6-foot-11 Swiss (indeed, it’s one of the cash-prohibitive summers in a while) or his restricted free agent status isn’t worth meddling with, knowing that the Rockets would more than likely match and you just helped solve the problem for them in terms of dictating his value.
As for general manager Daryl Morey and his Rockets, setting the right price for Capela is tricky at best. The 24-year-old is apparently seeking a Steven Adams-type of a contract to the tune of four years, $100 million. It’s not a bad comparison — both players are the same age and virtually identical on almost every statistic, it’s uncanny.
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets’ initial offer was around the ballpark of $85 to $90 million depending on incentives.
Rockets offer to Clint Capela on July 1 was five years, $85 million, two individuals with knowledge of the offer said. With incentives, the deal could be worth $90 million. Rockets remain optimistic sides a deal will be reached. “Absolutely,” one of the individuals said.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 11, 2018
The Rockets have been notoriously frugal this offseason. With the exception of re-signing free agent guard Chris Paul to a monster four-year, 160 million extension, the team allowed Trevor Ariza as well as Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to leave while only signing some players to minimum deals.
Luxury tax issues may be a concern for ownership, but Tilman Fertitta was quick to shoot it down.
via ESPN’s Tim McMahon:
“We know we’re going to be in the luxury tax, and if you want to compete for a championship, I feel like unless you get real lucky, you’re going to be in the luxury tax. So it is what it is. … It never even came up in any discussion.”
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