Cash for Clint Capela | The Lucerne newspaper

Remains in Houston: Clint Capela. (Photo: David Phillip / AP (May 28, 2018))

Negotiations lasted 27 days. And at the end of the bargaining marathon, Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets did not receive either the contract that he hoped for or the one he deserved. But after all, he will earn $ 18 million over the next five years. A huge sum that no Swiss athlete has almost reached. By comparison: Nino Niederreiter, Switzerland's highest paid professional ice hockey player, earns $ 5.25 million a year from the Minnesota Wild. Thabo Sefolosha, the Swiss pioneer of the NBA, arrives at the same amount in Utah Jazz; it's the most lucrative contract of his career.

Capela evolves in his own league. But in another market environment, perhaps as early as the summer of 2019, Geneva could have won a $ 24 million a year contract. "Sporting News" wrote that the case was so beneficial to the Rockets that it amounted to a "theft".

Safety instead of risk

This is not wrong. In a league where wages are exploding with sales, Capela has sold below value. In his position, he will be number 11 in the payroll, which does not do justice to its quality. But once Capela grew up in very simple conditions in Geneva, it made sense to opt for safety rather than risk; He financially financed this contract during his lifetime. James Harden, the team leader of the most important Rockets and Capelas confidant, said: "We all love basketball. But we also do everything we can to take care of our families for generations to come. Clint did it now. He worked hard for that. I am happy that everything went well. "Sporting, staying in Houston is the best thing that can happen in Capela. He marries perfectly with Harden and Rockets' second star, Chris Paul. When the trio was on the field, Houston won 42 of 45 qualifying matches in 2017/18.

For the Rockets, the departure of Capela would have been a disaster. Manager Daryl Morey had already been defeated by defender Trevor Ariza (Phoenix Suns) and will be the only notable influx of Carmelo Anthony, a former exhausted star, the last in Oklahoma City only a reserve role. In short, the Rockets have not had the best summer. They could not afford a departure from Capela. Even so, it remains the secret of management, as on paper no better than last year's busy Rockets 2018/19 seriously want to challenge the title holder Golden State Warriors. Capela will think about it too. After the millionaire probably a little more relaxed than before.