The Houston Rockets welcomed Clint Capela back for the 2025-26 season, marking a reunion with the Swiss center after he spent the last five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. After spending his first six seasons as a Rocket, Houston brought him back on a three-year $21.5 million contract. Of his 12 seasons in the league, Capela has been known to be a consistent double-double machine, averaging 10 or more points and 10 or more rebounds for seven consecutive years between 2017 and 2024. Unfortunately for Capela, those days seem to be numbered.
During the 2025-26 season, Capela put together his weakest campaign since his rookie season, as his minutes were nearly cut in half from a season prior. Despite an injury that caused Steven Adams’ season to end early, Capela averaged just 12.3 minutes per game. In 75 games, Capela made three starts, averaging 3.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals. That said, his offensive rebounding numbers were quite strong, averaging 2.1 per game, ranking in a tie for 53rd in the NBA. While this may not seem strong on paper, no other qualified player averaged as many offensive rebounds in as few minutes as Capela. Given that he doesn’t shoot 3-pointers and that the development of the NBA has shifted, Capela has been much less useful than in seasons past, making him a difficult player to grade. With two more seasons remaining on Capela’s deal, head coach Ime Udoka will need to get more creative to maximize the big man’s effectiveness.
Overall grade: C
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets 2025-26 player grades: Clint Capela