Clint Capela is expected to miss the next four to six weeks as he recovers from a broken fibula, but the Houston Rockets won’t be waiting around for him to return.
They’re scouring the trade market for temporary solutions now, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Sources: With loss of Capela, Rockets probing trade market on available bigs. Most likely scenario: Turning minutes to Nene and Harrell.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2016
Nene can be a sneaky-good defender and has looked pretty solid overall under Mike D’Antoni. Montrezl Harrell, at 6’8″, has seen time as a small-ball 5 this season, so his role can increase. Don’t put it past D’Antoni to run five-out lineups with Ryan Anderson at center. He won’t mind the defensive trade-off so long as the offense is beasting and Anderson is proving to be a good pick-and-roll finisher.
Still, even with all those options, the Rockets are vulnerable to regression. On-off numbers don’t love Capela’s defense, but he’s their primary rim protector and best pick-and-roll diver. There’s a chance the Rockets struggle to maintain their third place standing in the West without him.
Getting some help, even if the incoming name is a stopgap, isn’t a bad idea. The problem is sussing out a trade that won’t cost too much.
Kosta Koufos could be a potential option, but the Sacramento Kings would have to be interested in a package built around Corey Brewer and/or K.J. McDaniels. Richaun Holmes is collecting dust on the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench, but a collection of second-round picks may not be enough to get him from general manager Bryan Colangelo. Nerlens Noel would be even better under D’Antoni, but he’ll probably cost more than Holmes and is due for a massive raise over the summer.
Surprise players become available as the NBA nears the trade deadline. If the Rockets find someone to fill the void left by Capela, expect it to be a guy who hasn’t yet hit the rumor mill—and expect a deal to happen some time after the New Year.
