Rockets re-sign Capela to reported 5-year, $90M deal
The last big domino of the 2018 offseason finally fell Friday.
The Houston Rockets announced they've re-signed center Clint Capela to a five-year extension that's reportedly worth $90 million, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Of that total, $80 million is guaranteed, Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania reports, citing sources. Capela can earn an additional $1 million for each time the Rockets make the Western Conference finals, $500,000 for each season he finishes with a defensive rebounding rate of 30 percent, and $500,000 for each season he shoots better than 65 percent from the free-throw line, a league source told The Washington Post's Tim Bontemps.
Capela, 24, was a restricted free agent. Thus, the Rockets had the right to match any offer sheet the imposing big man signed with another team. Although cap space around the league is limited at this late juncture, which meant the Rockets had few potential opponents to outbid for the center's services, the team did have other factors to consider.
The main impetus for getting a long-term deal in the books was to avoid the possibility of Capela signing his below-market qualifying offer for $4.7 million. Doing so would've allowed Capela to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, opening the door to Houston losing their burgeoning star for nothing - or having to outbid teams with significantly more cap room.
Previous reports indicated Capela was looking for a deal similar to the four-year, $100-million extension Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams signed prior to the 2016-17 season. The Rockets reportedly first offered Capela a five-year, $85-million deal with incentives that would have pushed the total money closer to $90 million - the reported figure of the eventual agreement.
Capela took a major step forward in 2017-18, posting career highs in points (13.9), rebounds (10.8), and blocks (1.9) per game while leading the league with a 65.2 field-goal percentage. Among fellow 2014 draftees, Capela boasts the second-highest win shares total through four seasons, trailing only Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. He ranks well ahead of highly touted lottery picks from that class, including Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Aaron Gordon.