What about Al Horford (Don't call me Big Al)?

[Roy H.]

How many 1st round picks we getting to take him on?  And what salary is going out since we'd be above the line we can't cross.

Theis $5 mm
Edwards $1.5 mm
Semi  $1.7 mm

Horford is $27.5 mm.    Shedding $8.2 mm would get us under the hard cap.

Theis + trade exception for Horford is a giant downgrade.  Plus, we’d be over the tax.

[Vermont Green]

Still, I'd love to hear what situations you are monitoring.

I am not sure there is anything to monitor right now.  I think most if not all teams are pretty much done and just starting to focus on the season.  Orlando is probably a team to watch.  If they suck, Fournier could be dumped.  I think Thad Young is a possibility.  I am thinking players in that talent and cost range for part of the TPE and only if they are offered on the relative cheap.  But who we target could change if we suffer some injuries and some new needs emerge.  We might need to start looking for a point guard or something else.

I am also interested in how Philly does.  I think the roster will be on a fairly short leash and who knows who might become available.  I still think that (a healthy) Kemba is a good fit for them so if they decide to trade Simmons, maybe that is the start to a deal (this would be a straight deal, no TPE needed).  Kemba and something for Simmons (and then Simmons becomes our PF)?  I think if Philly does trade Simmons, they will try to get Harden first and foremost but if that fails, maybe they start to look at other options.

[Donoghus]

Big Al will always be Jefferson to me.

[Tr1boy]

Horford is 34. He had a bad year last season, but mostly due to roster construction in Philly.

We could probably get him back with the trade exception.  His $27.5 mm salary just fits. He is under contract control for 3 years, while Theis will be a FA after this season.  We would have to trade out about $7.5 mm in salary due to the hard cap.  Could be done in a separate trade of Theis plus Semi plus Carson I think.  Would be about a wash in picks going out/coming in.

New Lineup:

Kemba/Teague/Smart/Pritchard
Smart/Brown/Romeo/Nesmith
Brown/Tatum/GWillams
Tatum/Horford/GWilliams
Horford/Thompson/RWiliams

You either like or dislike this trade depending on whether you like swapping Theis for Al Horford.  I think that it would be an upgrade for us.  Al has a wider skill set than Daniel, can stretch the floor.  I would want to see whether his defensive abilities are still intact. Didn't really follow him much last season.

Would this be a good move or a bad move?

Naw

No way want that guy back.

[PhoSita]

 I love Al but not on that contract.

[liam]

I’d take Al back if he was bought out by OKC on a vet minimum.

[SHAQATTACK]

I’d take Al back if he was bought out by OKC on a vet minimum.

+1

[mmmmm]

Love Al.

But no.

It would cost too much either in player salaries that would need to be shed to get salary down or in the cost of going over the tax and thus triggering the repeater penalties two years earlier than necessary.

Neither cost is worth paying unless we get a sure-thing-over-the-hump-difference-maker that makes us favorites this year.   I love Al Horford and I do agree he probably still has game in him, but he's not _that_ huge of an upgrade over Theis that we should pay that cost.

Our more compelling roster need is actually at wing, not center.   If we use the TPE at all this year it will probably be closer to the deadline and should be for a veteran wing who can shoot and has some switchability on defense.

[Redz]

Big Al will always be Jefferson to me.

LOL

Yes!  That was absolutely what I was looking for when I clicked on this thread.  Despite my brain telling me that I was pretty certain he hadn't played in a couple of years, I was still open to the idea.

[Roy H.]

Big Al will always be Jefferson to me.

LOL

Yes!  That was absolutely what I was looking for when I clicked on this thread.  Despite my brain telling me that I was pretty certain he hadn't played in a couple of years, I was still open to the idea.

Haha.  Let’s bring back Big Al and Perk. We don’t need no stinking floor spacing.

[Hoopvortex]

I think that ship has sailed - especially at his salary and for what he showed last season.

Exactly. Boston wasn't willing to pay him before - why would they take on that contract a year later in his career?

There's a lot of agreement that he was a bad fit in Philly. No doubt a change of scenery is called for. But some number of GM's have to be saying: 'well, I thought his whole thing was his adaptability; maybe he's just getting old.'

Now if he gets bought out and is interested in coming back at the BAE, then let's consider it.

Definitely a different set of circumstances. I would strongly consider it, in fact.

I'd much rather see what shakes on the market then do the retread/nostalgia thing.

GM's and PoBO's can talk themselves into sentimental preferences, and justify them as getting leadership in the locker room. But Al is not over the hill; the big question is the price.

[RJ87]

I think that ship has sailed - especially at his salary and for what he showed last season.

Exactly. Boston wasn't willing to pay him before - why would they take on that contract a year later in his career?

There's a lot of agreement that he was a bad fit in Philly. No doubt a change of scenery is called for. But some number of GM's have to be saying: 'well, I thought his whole thing was his adaptability; maybe he's just getting old.'

Now if he gets bought out and is interested in coming back at the BAE, then let's consider it.

Definitely a different set of circumstances. I would strongly consider it, in fact.

I'd much rather see what shakes on the market then do the retread/nostalgia thing.

GM's and PoBO's can talk themselves into sentimental preferences, and justify them as getting leadership in the locker room. But Al is not over the hill; the big question is the price.

If Al wasn't a leader in the locker room last time around, there's no reason to believe he'd be so now. All the more reason to not look back at the past.

[Diggles]

 I thought AL Jefferson retired.   

[BitterJim]

This year? Heck no. He's not worth the salary we'd have to dump just to make it work.

Next summer, though? I'd be all for it, on two conditions: 1. he looks better in OKC than he did in Philly (basically, if he proves that fit was the problem there, not age) and 2. There's no better options available (and I mean better players, even if they cost more assets wise. I'd rather give up a couple of picks for a younger guy than get Al for free, but if nothing materializes then he would be one heck of a return for a TPE). Not to mention, it would basically have to be part of going all in for a title

[ozgod]

That ship has sailed, I think. The cost was too prohibitive last year, I doubt it's all of a sudden become more palatable now.