Why The Celtics Should Target A Trade For Al Horford This Season

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2241304-why-boston-celtics-should-target-al-horford-trade-this-season



Why Boston Celtics Should Target Al Horford Trade This Season
By Michael Pina , Featured Columnist Oct 24, 2014



Why Boston Celtics Should Target Al Horford Trade This SeasonDavid Goldman/Associated Press






Despite the return of Rajon Rondo at point guard, the addition of rookies Marcus Smart and James Young and steady growth from Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk, the Boston Celtics are still looking to add an All-Star or two.

They look better than the 25-win team from a year ago, but more talent is needed before the Celtics can refer to themselves as a relevant basketball team.

The easiest way to acquire such talent remains a trade, and as this regular season unfolds, several talented players (including Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert, Paul Millsap, Greg Monroe, etc.) may become available if the right package of goodies are dangled and their respective teams find the need to change direction.



David Goldman/Associated Press


Should all go according to plan, Atlanta Hawks lynchpin Al Horford will be one of those players. As Grantland’s Zach Lowe recently wrote, Atlanta quietly shopped the two-time All-Star last season. Why, you say? A new ownership group is set to take over, and the uncertainty has caused speculation that Atlanta may have no intention of paying Horford’s next contract:

It happened in stealth mode last season, when the Hawks reached out to a select group and made it known that Horford could be had for the right price — including an unprotected 2014 first-round pick, per several league sources. Nothing materialized, and Horford is ready to return from another torn pectoral muscle.

A healthy Horford is a top-20 player on a below-market contract that runs through 2015-16 — long enough that some team could talk itself into gambling on him. He could net a hefty return for the Hawks, who have been happily skipping down the “pretty good with cap room” path under Danny Ferry.

Atlanta could desire to rebuild sooner than later. The best way to start over, of course, is to exchange a franchise player for draft picks, cap space and talented young assets. Boston has such things, and their desire to acquire Horford stretches beyond the obvious.

Everyone in the league would love a versatile two-way big with soft touch around the rim and serious attitude on the glass, but the Celtics need another guaranteed commodity. Everything in Boston revolves around its franchise point guard, and questions loom: Is the organization better off stabilizing a legitimate rebuild around Rondo or cashing out and further diving into the dark depths of roster renovation?



Todd Kirkland/Associated Press


Moving Rondo will be hard. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer, so any possible trade partner won’t be willing to offer much value due to the fact that they wouldn’t even be guaranteed a full season of Rondo’s service.

The Celtics know this and aren't willing to settle. Assuming he's the same player post-ACL surgery, Rondo is one of the best point guards in the league, and trading him for anything but a blue-chip prospect and/or several first-round picks isn't worth the trouble.

Conversely, re-signing the 28-year-old Rondo to a four or five-year deal this summer doesn’t make much sense without legitimately skilled pieces around him.

He isn’t old or past his prime, but those days are approaching. The Celtics need another bankable player. By adding Horford, Boston would boast two top-25 talents, a smart, young head coach who has embraced speed, free-flowing offense and the three-pointer (at least in the preseason) and would still have cap space and draft picks to play with in an attempt to get even better.

Horford is owed $24 million over the next two seasons, making his contract one of the most attractive chips in the league. He’s also missed 132 games over the past three years, with the aforementioned torn pectoral muscle ending his 2013-14 campaign after just 29 games.

He’s 28 years old, has two All-Star games under his belt and, pending the exact haul Boston ships to Atlanta for Horford's services, appears to be a splendid complement beside the floor-stretching Olynyk and a perfect pick-and-roll partner for Rondo.  



Charles Krupa/Associated Press


Landing him would make Boston an attractive destination for a third All-Star. Upcoming big-name free agents—like Marc Gasol, who would fit Boston like a glove—would be more likely to select Boston if the talent level became more respectable.

And even if the Celtics can’t land someone this summer, Horford’s reliable offensive production in Boston’s offense would turn Jeff Green into a third option (assuming he picks up his player option or is re-signed to a team-friendly deal), increasing his comfort level and more importantly his efficiency.

How Boston can pry Horford from Atlanta is the next logical question. Between now and 2018, they have several first-round picks to play with: including all of their own, unprotected picks from the Brooklyn Nets in 2016 and 2018, a top-10 protected pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and an unprotected pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in this year's draft.

Those are golden assets with escalating value. As the salary cap rises over the next few seasons, rookie-scale contracts will not rise with it. From there, Boston has several expiring contracts they'd be willing to part with, including Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton and Jeff Green (who has a player option in 2015-16). A pick or two, one of those contracts and Jared Sullinger should be enough to get Atlanta's attention, at least.


He would also help clear up Boston’s murky future quite a bit. Trade rumors surrounding Rondo would disappear, and just like that the Celtics would once again be a competitive basketball team, accelerating their path toward title contention.

It's an opportunity they must explore.




bob
MY NOTE:  Sure, I'd love to have 2x All-Star Al Horford without giving up Rondo to get him.  I'd also love to be able to eat anything I want and never gain an ounce.  On the other hand, who does Atlanta have to back up Jeff Teague?  Dennis Schroder should be the one, but he hasn't impressed, only playing 13mpg last year, and Shelvin Mack is probably more of a 2 than a 1.  Also, they've got Elton Brand on the roster for $2M for this year.  Short money but you can just about stick a fork in ol' Elton.  Bass would be a nice addition/replacement.  Would you give up Brandon Bass and Marcus Smart, and maybe a 1st round pick, for Horford (this trade is successful, btw, using the NBA Trade Machine)?  I'd love to replace Smart with Bynum (this trade is successful per the Trade Machine too) but I don't see that would be interesting to Atlanta because of Bynum's age UNLESS we throw in a 2nd first rounder.  Is Horford worth Bass, Bynum (who has no future with us anyway) and TWO first round picks?  He has those alarming recurrences of torn pectoral muscles and is only listed at 6'10" 245# but, when he's healthy, he's a helluva player and a legit NBA center height/weight notwithstanding.  "When he's healthy" is the key phrase.  He's only 28 but has also only played 114 games in the past 3 seasons, including only 29 last season.  

I'm making this a poll so you can put together a trade scenario of your own.  If you don't use/like either of the ones I offer, then vote 'Other' and lay it out and why yours would be better, not just for the Celtics but for Atlanta too.  After all, if your deal is obviously better for us than them, why would they take it?

Here's the link for the NBA Trade Machine, to sanity-check your trade ideas.  

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

Here's a link to the Atlanta Hawks roster, so you can see their depth chart.  

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/depth/_/name/atl/atlanta-hawks

Good luck, junior GMs.






.

No Thanks.

Horford is another undersized PF who has been forced to play C in a modern NBA full of weak low post play. Sullinger is as good, if not better than Horford and has way more long term upside.

And you want to give up on Marcus Smart?? Really?

Bad idea all around.

Kelly is bigger and most here think he can't be a center in the NBA.

Horford isn't much of a rim defender either.

so why take the chance on a guy who has some real injury histories?

also Atlanta has no reason to want Bass, they have Millsap and drafted Payne this year.

Just what the Celtics need, another PF trying to play center...


KJ

can't include Sully or Smart in this trade....I would do it for Jeff Green and Bass.

I'm not seeing it.  When I speak of a intimidator, I refer to one who intimidates.  Perhaps Horford would qualify when it comes to rebounding but I don't associate him with intimidating defense.

Alternate solution?  Make another play for Asik.

Sam

sam wrote:I'm not seeing it.  When I speak of a intimidator, I refer to one who intimidates.  Perhaps Horford would qualify when it comes to rebounding but I don't associate him with intimidating defense.

Alternate solution?  Make another play for Asik.

Sam

unless Asik singed an extension, that I didn't read about he will be a UFA next year still.

so keep hope alive!

Wouldn't bring him in to play center.  As a PF, OK, providing that pec is no longer an issue.  I'm no doctor, but I think the pec thing is more of a freak accident that takes time to heal, it's not like a damaged joint where you need to worry about it repeating.

Giving up Smart to get him wouldn't be smart at all.  Bass and picks yes, Green, if we're going with Turner sure, Sully, possibly.  Horford in the mix could really step up our offense, but we would still need a center.  The other problem is, I'm not sure anyone we might want to offer would really interest them.

Kdp,

From your mouth to Danny's ears.  Here's hoping.

Sam