NBA
Clint Capela And Rockets Agree To Five Year, $90 Million Extension
Clint Capela and the Houston Rockets have agreed to a five-year, $90 million extension. The news isn’t too surprising, as teams are gearing up to spend big time next summer. Negotiations weren’t pretty, but Capela really never wanted to leave Houston, which also played a part in the extension getting done.
#Rockets badly wanted Clint Capela to re-up long-term (1-year contract was never ideal) and Capela never wanted to leave Houston. Remember, he declined 5-year, $85M – @wojespn reporting 90M over 5…
Etch the #Rockets into contending status both now and long-term. https://t.co/CoFdlIeLyv
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 27, 2018
Why Re-Signing Capela Makes Sense For The Rockets
The Rockets off-season hasn’t been great, but with Capela back on board, they now can return to focusing on besting the Golden State Warriors. Capela had a great season for the Rockets. He averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, which are all career highs. He also shot 65.2% from the field, which he ranked first in the NBA in that category.
When James Harden, Chris Paul and Capela all were in the lineup, the Rockets were 42-3. They were the anchors behind a great season for the Rockets. They finished with 65-17 record last season, which gave them the NBA’s best record and the number one seed in the tough Western Conference.
Rockets Have Shown They Are Willing To Spend
The Rockets are banking on continuity to help them return to the Western Conference Finals next season. Paul also re-signed with the Rockets this summer early in free agency. The deal was for four-year, $160 million. They also have Harden locked into his supermax deal. He inked a four-year, $228 million extension last summer. They’re also now willing to spend the necessary money to contend. The luxury tax isn’t a concern for them at all.
The Rockets have only paid the luxury tax twice; 2010-11 and 2015-16 for a total of $5.6M. New ownership has shown a commitment with the Chris Paul max contract and now with Clint Capela onboard.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 27, 2018
What’s Next For The Rockets
With the Rockets re-signing their core players, they now can focus on adding pieces around. With Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah Moute leaving, they’re in need of help at the small forward position. They’ve added James Ennis and are looking to add Carmelo Anthony when his buyout with the Atlanta Hawks is complete.
