The Boston Celtics are reportedly making a move before the NBA's February 18 trade deadline. According to CSNNE's Chris Mannix, the C's are willing to trade for the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford and Jeff Teague.
"I've heard that Boston's inquired about several players with Atlanta, Teague and Al Horford. Teague might seem like a weird fit with this team because they already have point guards, but he is an asset, He's someone the Celtics could be interested in," Mannix wrote.
"Horford, a little more difficult. It would be a gamble going after Al Horford because Al Horford is in the last year of his deal and he's going to command a salary north of $20 million next year. But as we know and as I just said, (president of basketball operations) Danny Ainge is a gambling GM. He could make a move like that, too," he added.
For a few weeks now, it has been known that Atlanta is willing to deal Teague. The club appears to have lost faith in the 27-year-old point guard and interested in giving Dennis Schroder a chance to take over as the starting point guard.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has been splitting time between Teague and Schroder. The former is averaging 6.7 minutes in the fourth quarter while the latter is averaging 5.7. Schroder has also been delivering an average of 10.7 points and 4.7 assists per game, and sources close to the Hawks organization claim that the team is ready to make him the starter. If accurate, that would make Teague expendable and could help Atlanta send him off to another club. Teague will be a free agent after next season, and his salary is a modest $8 million per season, which makes him an attractive player to trade.
Meanwhile, Horford's effectiveness all over the court makes him a great fit in the Boston Celtics' offense, FanSided noted. The 29-year-old power forward is remarkable at the rim and has completed 72.4% of his career shots within three feet of the rim. Horford is also an elite mid-range shooter; he has finished just below 50% of his shots between 16 feet from the basket rim and the three-point line.
Adding a player like Jeff Teague would not make much sense at first as Boston already have All-Star Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart as point guards. However, Teague also earned All-Star honors last season and could provide the Celtics with valuable depth. Horford, a three-time All-Star, would likewise be a big upgrade in Boston's front court that is deep but far from dominant.
