Grade the trade: Rockets land much needed rim protector in bold proposal

What a potential deal would look like

On Sunday, former Rockets center and current Atlanta Hawks big man Clint Capela expressed his interest in re-joining the franchise, while noting that he still has relationships within the Rockets organization.

This news prompted our own Tyler Watts to concoct a trade proposal, which would send Capela to the Rockets. The deal is below:

Rockets receive: Clint Capela
Hawks receive: Pascal Siakam
Raptors receive: De'Andre Hunter, Victor Oladipo, Jock Landale, 2 First-Round Picks (via Atlanta), 2024 Second-Round Pick (via Houston)

Why the Raptors do the deal

First off, let's acknowledge how difficult it is to pull off three-team deals. Each team has to believe that they're getting a legitimate return for what they're giving up, which is the challenging part.

In this deal, the Raptors land the biggest haul, as they land De'Andre Hunter, who is a solid young player (26-years-old) under contract through 2027. Hunter has career averages of 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 44.4 percent from the field, and 35.5 percent from deep.

The Raptors would love to add this productivity to the fold, even if they have to take on his $90 million through 2027. Especially since they'd be adding Victor Oladipo and Jock Landale, both of whom are on expiring contracts at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Not to mention freeing themselves of a Siakam extension, which they've clearly had reservations about. On multiple occasions.

And don't forget about the two first round picks and additional second-round pick in the deal.

Now let's get into why the other teams do the deal.