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#2 The Atlanta Hawks have three stars locked up until at least 2025
The Atlanta Hawks exceeded all expectations to march into the Eastern Conference Finals. The front office is looking to build on that gush of momentum to overturn the franchise's long-term fortunes.
Even before the Clint Capela signing, All-star Trae Young agreed to a five-year, $207 Million contract extension while forward John Collins bagged his own five-year contract worth $125 million.
With players like Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari and Cam Reddish next in line, the Atlanta Hawks are betting big on a roster that played their hearts out. But on pulling it back for a bird's eye view, it is apparent that no other player apart from Trae Young is a bonafide superstar.
Betting such big numbers for such extended periods of time on players who are yet to prove their championship mettle in the league could land the Atlanta Hawks in big trouble. When push comes to shove, such lucrative contracts can cramp up the room for future trades and have the front-office gasping for some breathing cap space as well.
#3 Clint Capela stands nowhere near the elite bigs in the league, making it an overpriced contract extension
Clint Capela is not the first name (or even fifth) that comes to mind when one thinks of modern day NBA bigs. Although three pointers and ball handling have redefined the center position in recent times, it is only because superstars like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have perfected the art inside-out.
Even though Clint Capela is a viable size option in the paint, when playing against lengthy teams, his arsenal is fairly limited in containing those elite bigs that rule the NBA.
Clint Capela can give the Atlanta Hawks double-digit rebounds on any given night, but even his highest season scoring average was is only as high as 16.6 ppg. He averaged two blocks per game during the regular season, but was visibly uncomfortable guarding Embiid and the Greek Freak when it mattered most down the stretch.
For the Atlanta Hawks, Clint Capela is a respectable center capable of being an anchor for a team that already runs on superstar talent, but doesn't ride on him to win games. Hence, the fair deduction that his value on the court and his yearly salaries seem a bit mis-aligned.
