While much of this summer's NBA free agency madness has come to an end, there was still one big deal out there waiting to be signed: restricted free agent Clint Capela. On Friday, Capela reportedly agreed to a five-year, $90 million deal with the Houston Rockets.
Houston has reached an agreement with Clint Capela on a 5-year, $90m extension, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 27, 2018
James Harden was one of the first to congratulate his teammate on the deal.
James Harden reacts to the Rockets getting a deal done to retain restricted free agent big man Clint Capela on a five-year, $90 million deal pic.twitter.com/uBKyiAWV7o
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 27, 2018
There wasn't really a question as to whether Capela would return to the Rockets -- it was simply a matter of how much money he would get. The 6-foot-10, 24-year-old has developed into a crucial part of Houston's success on both ends of the court, posing as a lob threat on offense while providing shot-blocking and the ability to effectively switch onto perimeter players defensively.
He's essentially the ideal modern big, and was rewarded for both his production and potential with a multi-year deal from Houston. With Capela back and Carmelo Anthony reportedly on the way, the Rockets will look to improve on their impressive performance last season, when they were one game away from eliminating the champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.
