Clint Capela Returns to Rockets on Three-Year, $21.5M Deal

Free agent center Clint Capela agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million deal with the Houston Rockets on Monday, sources informed ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Clint Capela Spent First Six NBA Seasons With Rockets

The Rockets upgraded their frontcourt by signing the 6-foot-10 Capela on the first day of NBA free agency following his five-year tenure with the Atlanta Hawks.

The 11-year veteran spent the first six seasons of his NBA career with Houston after being drafted with the 25th overall pick in 2014. He began his professional career in Europe in 2012.

In 664 career NBA regular-season games (587 starts), Capela has averaged 12 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 26.2 minutes per contest while shooting 61.7% from the field.

Per Spotrac, Capela signed a two-year, $45.9 million extension with the Hawks in September 2021. He made $22.2 million in the 2024-25 season, the final year of his deal.

Capela Split Time With Onyeka Okongwu In Atlanta

Capela, 31, averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 55 games (41 starts) this past season while splitting time with fellow center Onyeka Okongwu, who replaced him in the starting lineup Jan. 20.

According to Basketball Reference, Capela’s average of 21.4 minutes per game was his lowest since he joined the Hawks in 2020. The 2023-24 campaign was the first time Capela began splitting minutes with Okongwu consistently.

In his first season in Atlanta in 2020-21, he posted 15.2 points, 2.0 blocks, and an NBA-best 14.3 rebounds per game. But his production dropped off a bit during the 2021-22 season.

While averaging just 26.6 minutes per contest, he logged 11.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks that year but ranked seventh in the league for field goal percentage (61.3%).

Houston Re-Signed Adams, Green, Holiday, VanVleet, Tate

In June, the Rockets acquired Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and five second-round draft picks.

Charania revealed during last Thursday’s episode of First Take that Durant’s plan is to retire a Rocket.

“The goal right now for Kevin Durant and the Rockets is for him to retire in Houston. They’re going to eventually this offseason discuss a contract extension, figure out where that lands,” Charania said. “But throughout the process, it became the finalists between Miami and Houston, but the Rockets really excited Kevin Durant.”

Houston has already re-signed its free agents Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, and Jeff Green to new contracts. Tate reportedly inked a one-year, $3 million deal, while Holiday and Green agreed to minimum deals.

The Rockets have extended Steven Adams and head coach Ime Udoka as well. Last week, veteran guard Fred VanVleet also agreed to a two-year, $50 million contract, with a player option in 2026-27.