Leading up to the Feb. 18 trade deadline, theScore's NBA editors will try to find the best deals for players reportedly on the market. First up, Al Horford.
Credit Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge for pulling off a coup in 2007 to unite Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce to spark two Finals runs and a championship in 2008.
Even more credit to Ainge for being able to salvage Pierce and Garnett's last legs by turning them into three unprotected Brooklyn Nets picks. With the Nets in a hopless state of utter disarray, those picks are worth their weight in gold.
Not only are the Celtics are sitting pretty with the delicious fruits of Brooklyn's suffering, they're also owed 2016 first-round picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves (protected 1-12) and the Dallas Mavericks (protected 1-7), in addition to six second-rounders in 2016 and 2017.
Those assets should be more than enough to return a centerpiece for Brad Stevens' merry band of overachieving role players. A 9-1 run has the Celtics in the three seed, and as their recent buzzer-beating comeback showed, Boston's more than capable of giving the Cleveland Cavaliers a decent run.
It's time for Ainge's next great stroke of genius.
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly taking calls on impending free agent Al Horford and Ainge would be wise to give Mike Budenholzer a call.
Horford might not have the same cache as Allen, or Garnett once did, but he fits the Celtics' needs to a tee. He's a two-way monster that would fit seamlessly into Stevens' rotation.
For one, Horford would give the Celtics yet another big who can shoot. The mid-range maestro has connected on 49 percent of his shots from 16 feet out over the past two seasons, and his ability to be a triple threat as the screener in the pick-and-roll would make Isaiah Thomas even more unguardable. Put those two at the top of the floor, surround them with three shooters, and the Celtics' inability to generate quality half-court offense would be instantly alleviated.
Of course, the Celtics already have a few bigs who can shoot. The difference with Horford is that there wouldn't be a trade off. Kelly Olynyk is a strong 3-point shooter, but he's a poor defender. Jared Sullinger is marginally better defensively, but his jumper can be inconsistent. Amir Johnson is the best defender out of the three, but his trebuchet release takes hours to wind up.
Horford is the mobile stretch five who can stick with guards on the perimeter, protect the paint, and be a threat to score from every spot on the floor. He offers the best of both worlds.
The tricky matter of Horford's impending free agency is the only thing that might give Ainge pause. But if the Celtics can make a deep playoff run with Horford as the centerpiece, there's no reason why he wouldn't return. He's spoken about the opportunity to play in a bigger market, and leading a marquee franchise like the Celtics would fit the bill.
Furthermore, the Celtics would have enough cap room to re-sign him, then add another superstar - all without giving up any of their core of Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart.
Trading for Horford is a no-brainer. The question is whether the Hawks would part ways with a player who's led the team for the last nine years.
Shedding Horford would double as a tacit admission that the Hawks, as presently built, have failed. But in a way, after winning 60 games last season, the Hawks' brief run of brilliance might already be fading, and it might be time to get ahead of the curve in terms of rebuilding.
The Hawks aren't as good as they were last season. They're 12 wins back of last year's pace, and their net rating has been cut in half (from 5.6 to 3.1). They also lost DeMarre Carroll in the offseason, Kyle Korver's dropped off significantly after ankle surgery, and the team is reportedly ready to move on with Jeff Teague.
Granted, the Hawks are certainly still good enough to make the playoffs. If some of their players return to form, Atlanta could even win a round or two. The frontcourt of Horford and Paul Millsap is one of the league's best combinations, and that should be enough to carry the Hawks in the postseason.
However, the team is already fielding calls for Horford, and rightfully so - short of a championship run, it's not worth it to let Horford walk for nothing.
Boston could offer the Hawks a path to the future. Swapping Horford for the 2016 Brooklyn pick, along with a prospect like James Young, would give the Hawks a few blue chippers to pair along with their point guard of the future in Dennis Schroder.
It's at least a thought.
Proposed Framework
*Celtics would also send Brooklyn's 2016 unprotected first-round pick