NBA notebook: Rockets, Capela reportedly reach $90 million deal

[July 28, 2018]  The standoff between the Houston Rockets and restricted free agent center Clint Capela appears over, as Capela signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the club, ESPN reported Friday.

As a restricted free agent, Capela could have signed the team's $4.3 million qualifying offer and reached free agency in July 2019. But he had not yet signed it, instead holding out hopes for a deal in the $100 million range, putting him on par with Thunder big man Steven Adams (four years, $100 million) and Jazz eraser Rudy Gobert (four years, $102 million).

Capela is a strong defensive presence, and keeping him was essential for the Rockets, who already lost wings Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute to free agency.

The 6-foot-10 Capela, the No. 25 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in 74 games last season.

--New York Knicks coach David Fizdale traveled to All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis' native Latvia to get to know his franchise player and to see how his rehab from major knee surgery is progressing. Porzingis tore the ACL in his left knee on Feb. 6 and isn't expected back until December.

"We've talked about his rehab. We've talked about how we want to play, our style of play. Talked a lot about the culture that we're building," the new Knicks coach told Latvian television network LSM. "We wanna make sure that he comes back strong and healthy and we don't want to rush it. We've had some really good conversations."

The 7-foot-3 Porzingis, who turns 23 on Thursday, also is eligible for a five-year, $157 million contract extension. Talks haven't progressed and may not until after Porzingis has recovered from the ACL tear.

--Once again, Devin Harris is a Dallas Maverick. Yahoo Sports reported that the veteran point guard, 35, agreed to a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the club.

Harris, 35, was traded from Dallas to the Denver Nuggets in February, but the team is bringing him back after losing Yogi Ferrell in free agency. The fifth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Harris was traded on draft night to Dallas, where he spent the first four years of his career.

Apr 3, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Clint Capela (15) gets a rebound away from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kyle Singler (5) during the third quarter at Toyota Center. The Rockets won 118-110. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

He was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 2008, but returned to Dallas in 2013 as a free agent.

--California native Paul George explained to USA Today Sports why he never even bothered to meet with Lakers president Magic Johnson and instead re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"The reason why I didn't (take a meeting) is that coming down to free agency and before it was about to open (on July 1), I felt really good where I was at," said George, who signed a four-year agreement worth $137 million with the Thunder.

"I felt I was in a good place with Oklahoma. I wanted to come back to LA. That story was true. The narrative on that was true. That's where my heart was. But this year, being in Oklahoma, I felt really good about the situation, I felt really good going forward, and I didn't want to waste nobody's time and take a meeting. ... I felt great where we were at, so I decided to do it early, to get it over with, and start to build."

--Field Level Media

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