Boston Celtics: “Pass or Pursue” on 2 recently proposed Al Horford trades
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics trade No. 1) Hornets get frontcourt help, C’s get more guard depth
For years now, when it has come to potential trades the Boston Celtics could make, one of the main talking points has been that they need to try and address their backcourt rotation, particularly at the one.
Since Rajon Rondo’s departure back in 2014, the C’s point guard position has seen a tremendous amount of turnover, with a plethora of hopeful long-term answers being seen parting ways from the ball club after only a coupled years of action.
From Isaiah Thomas to Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier to Kemba Walker we have seen quite a number of quality names manning the point for the shamrocks over the past several seasons that, ultimately, didn’t end up staying put for the long haul.
However, N.A.N writer, James Piercey, believes that Boston should try and reunite with one of these ghosts of floor general’s past.
That former player: Rozier.
Citing his successful track record when donning the green and white threads, coupled with his specific skill set and the team’s “weak” point guard position (his words, not mine), Piercey is under the impression that bringing back the 28-year-old could be a quality move to make for the Celtics, and is under the impression that swapping out Al Horford in exchange could be a way of making such a deal happen:
"Their guard rotation, as presently constructed, is weak. As a win-now club, the only reason they’d be dumping Horford’s contract would be to improve. From the perspective of roster balance, this deal helps them do that. As for the Hornets, they get the big man they need. Horford may not be the ideal pick-and-roll lob finisher for the gifted LaMelo Ball, but he does check a lot of boxes. He provides solid floor-spacing, and his passing vision will fit right in with a team that led the league in assists per game. He’s also a great defensive player who can survive in space and protect the rim. This deal finds both teams filling a position of need, and improving in the process. What more could either side ask for?"
Where should we begin?
Let’s start with the salary side of this proposed trade.
While Al Horford’s contract is, in fact, quite egregious from a numbers standpoint, one mustn’t lose sight of the fact that he only has one more year left on his respective deal, and even that is only partially guaranteed.
Rozier, on the other hand, is heading into unrestricted free agency this coming offseason and, in order to make a move such as the one proposed by Piercy work, the C’s would have to agree to a sign-and-trade that involves the guard getting paid something within the ball-park of what Big Al is making, albeit for several more years.
Does this sound like a good idea for a club looking to shed salary? No, and this fact was even stated within the article.
Next, let’s take a look at the claim that was made stating that Boston’s guard rotation was weak.
At this year’s deadline, the team’s front office made the smart move to snag fifth-year veteran, Derrick White, from the San Antonio Spurs to come in and hopefully serve as a long-term contributor within the backcourt for Ime Udoka’s squad.
So far, the deal has proven to do wonders for the Boston Celtics, as he’s turned himself into a legitimate two-way X-factor who will be under contract through 2025 at an average salary of $17.5 million.
Alongside him in the guard reserves is second-year pro, Payton Pritchard, who has quickly become a fan favorite and a heavily utilized role-player thanks to his efficient shooting stroke and energizer bunny-esque hustle on the floor.
On top of all this, the C’s also have the likes of Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, manning the starting point guard position for this title-contending unit. It is an unsung fact that the eighth-year baller has been one of the driving forces for the team’s historic midseason turnaround and has only gone on to keep up his stellar level of play in this year’s postseason.
A weak position? We think not.
Lastly, in Piercy’s proposal, we see Boston parting ways with a future first-round pick.
Considering how vital Al Horford has been to the team’s successes all year long, both with his production on the floor and his leadership in the locker room, we at HH are of the belief that this team, even with his lofty contract, should not be hell-bent on ridding themselves of the veteran during the coming offseason.
With this, attaching a first to a deal that sees just Terry Rozier coming back in return reeks of desperation to us, and, frankly, this should not be the case considering just how lethal the Celtics have proven to be when they were completely healthy and intact.
All things considered, from the salary-cap impact to the exchange of talents, this proposal makes absolutely no sense for Boston to consider.