Clint Capela Trade Rumors: Timberwolves, Hawks Haven't Made 'Much Headway' on Deal

The Minnesota Timberwolves might have interest in adding Clint Capela, but they don't appear to be moving quickly on a potential deal.

Per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, the Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks haven't made "much headway, if any" on a Capela trade.

Krawczynski noted Minnesota does have interest in the 28-year-old but has had "little engagement" with the Hawks to this point.

Earlier in the week, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the T-Wolves had discussed deals around veteran centers, with Capela cited as a player they would be interested in.

Karl-Anthony Towns is Minnesota's starting center, but his performance on the defensive end makes him a liability at times. The three-time All-Star ranked 29th out of 85 qualified centers in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus (1.93) last season.

Despite those limitations, Towns still made the All-NBA third team in 2021-22 because of his ability on offense. He averaged 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 74 starts.

Towns, who is eligible for a four-year, $211 million extension this offseason, seemed to indicate in April after Minnesota's first-round playoff loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that he will re-sign if an offer is presented.

If the Timberwolves want to keep building around Towns and Anthony Edwards, their best approach could be to add a traditional center with strong defensive tendencies.

Capela is an excellent pick-and-roll player, averaging 1.37 points per possession on those plays during the 2021-22 season, per NBA.com. He led all Eastern Conference players in defensive real plus-minus (7.66).

Last season was a significant step forward for the Timberwolves. They increased their win total by 23 games from 2020-21 (23 to 46) and made the playoffs for the second time since 2003-04.