Lakers Rumors: LA to Meet with Clint Capela amid LeBron James Pursuit
In their quest to entice LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers will turn their focus in free agency to Clint Capela.
Per NBA.com's David Aldridge, the Lakers will be meeting with the 24-year-old center Sunday.
The Lakers could run into a problem if they make Capela an offer because he's a restricted free agent. The Houston Rockets will have the right to match any contract presented to him.
Marc Stein of the New York Times noted the Rockets' focus this summer will be retaining Capela and Chris Paul. The latter agreed to a four-year extension worth $160 million at the start of free agency, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, James has "strong" interest in joining the Lakers.
If the Lakers cannot land Capela, they may have another option. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor noted DeMarcus Cousins is an "increasingly likely target" for Los Angeles on a short-term deal.
Capela is coming off his most productive NBA season. He averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds per contest and led the NBA with a 65.2 field-goal percentage to help the Rockets win a franchise-record 65 games.
