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Report: Celtics among favorites to land Horford if Hawks trade him

David Butler II / USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks have less than 24 hours to decide whether they'll stay the course or blow up their core, but if they do go for the nuclear option, the Boston Celtics could stand to benefit from the fallout.

The Celtics are one of the favorites to land All-Star center Al Horford if the Hawks agree to move him, a source told CSN's A. Sherrod Blakely.

That shouldn't come as a surprise given the Celtics' cache of assets - replete with both young talent and tantalizing first-round draft picks. They're among the favorites to land any superstar who would conceivably be on the trade block at this point.

Related: Why the Celtics should trade for Al Horford

The Hawks have reportedly been considering trading one or all of Horford, Jeff Teague, and Kyle Korver since before the All-Star break, but were said to be demanding a king's ransom for Horford and Teague.

Horford will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, turns 30 in June, and could command a max contract this summer, all of which complicates his trade value.

The lifetime Hawk is averaging 15.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 blocks this season, while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range. He's attempted 162 threes this year after taking just 65 combined through his first eight seasons.

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