NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks' Larry Nance Jr. Drawing More Interest Than Clint Capela

If the Atlanta Hawks are going to trade a big man this summer, don't be surprised if it's Larry Nance Jr. and not Clint Capela.

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Hawks "have been trying to trade Capela for more than a year, but league sources say that the Atlanta big man drawing the most external interest is the newly acquired Nance. Word is Nance, who came to the Hawks in the recent Dejounte Murray trade, is being chased by multiple teams in need of proven size."

Nance, 31, didn't exactly light up the stat sheet last season, averaging 5.7 points and five rebounds per game for the New Orleans Pelicans across 61 contests, all off the bench. The 30-year-old Capela actually posted far superior numbers (11.5 PPG, 10.6 RPB, 1.5 BPG in 73 games, all starts).

The difference in contracts probably has something to do with the interest around the league more aimed in Nance's direction, however.

Capela is due to make $22.2 million this year before becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season. That's a big number, especially for contenders probably only adding around the margins this offseason.

Nance, meanwhile, will make half that salary at $11.2 million, and like Capela will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2024-25 campaign. That figure would undoubtedly be easier for most contenders to roster match, allowing them to cobble together cheaper contracts for players lower down the rotation.

The Hawks are in a transition phase this offseason after trading Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans and winning the top overall selection in the NBA draft lottery, which they used to select French wing Zaccharie Risacher.

The question now is whether the Hawks will attempt to do a full rebuild around Risacher, trading off Trae Young and other veterans, or if they will attempt to build a contender in the short term around Young while developing Risacher for the long term. Other teams have unsuccessfully tried the latter approach, like the Golden State Warriors, so at some point, the Hawks may have to choose a lane eventually.

For now, however, the Hawks seemingly haven't signed off on a full fire sale.