Maybe the C's already have their long term replacement for Al Horford....

[wiley]

He's good enough to be a starter on a team already with two all stars.

But he's not quite big enough. 
It can work in a pinch or even for some weeks at a time...

but let's get a future Al H. replacement somehow who has the size to start full time.
(likely not as good as Al.)

[Big333223]

I think the way the NBA is going, Grant will be a perfect fit as a PF.

I'm imagining next season, Al is still the starter but their minutes basically flip (Al playing around 20 mpg and Grant playing around 30) and then Grant takes over as the starter.

Last season was tough for Grant because he put on weight to play bigger and it didn't go well. This year he took the weight off to be able to play faster and it worked. Now that we know that that works and he has that mentality, I'm excited to see his growth going forward.

Are we now thinking Horford is definitely on the team next year? If we make finals he definitely because of how salary is structured. But other he is making like 28 million instead of 11 if they don’t bring him back.

Unless they trade Al for an upgrade of some kind then yes, he will 100% be back. Cutting him to pay 14 million for a guy not on your team vs keeping him for 26 million is a no brainer because that extra 12 million doesn't really do anything for you, it doesn't give them cap room. It saves money against the tax, but if ownership is cutting a starter to save tax money that would be a HUGE slap in the face to Tatum/Brown.

It's going to be an interesting question this summer. If the C's make the Finals or win, they'll have a huge contract to match with if they want to go after someone like John Collins.

But do they have the assets to get someone like that? And would they rather keep Horford around knowing that he's a great teammate, Grant can soak up more PF minutes next season and he only has one year left on the big contract?

Lots of variables next summer. Hopefully by then the Celtics will be on the hook to Horford for a big, big contract.

[gouki88]

I reckon we could go after someone like Thaddeus Young in free agency to allow us to rest Horford more next season if we wanted. He's not the shooter Horford is (around 35% on 1.7 attempts per game over the last few years), but he plays very similarly in terms of defence, playmaking and solid enough rebounding. I would absolutely love a rotation of:

Smart / Pritchard
Brown / White
Tatum / Nesmith
Horford / Grant / Young
Rob / Young / Theis

If you are going only for a year or two, I'd rather get a guy that can play SF than a big guy.  If you are going more for the long term, then a PF/C type makes more sense.  Young would be fine, but I'd rather have a more pure wing type player for the next year.  Wood makes more sense to me long term, though he would cost more assets to acquire than Young.

That's why I went with Young - because he's an impending free agent.

There are guys who play on the perimeter who I think we ought to target with our TPE though.

[Boss_D]

I Just hope Celtics take a look at Mfiondu Kabengele as a possible replacement for Al Horford,
Mfiondu Kabengele is a really impressive size for an NBA power forward. At 6’10.5” in shoes, and weighing in at a chiseled 256 pounds (only 5.1% body fat) Kabengele has an amazing frame to bring his defensive prowess to the NBA. His length is top notch as well. With a 7’3” wingspan and a 9’1.5” standing reach, Mfiondu looks very appealing as a defensive big man in the NBA.

Let him learn from Al Horford. He can be a bigger version of Grant Williams.

[pokeKingCurtis]

Could be Nesmith (plus someone else)? And we just play smaller...?

[stes]

Crazy thought: Ben Simmons for Al Horford - yes or no?! Maybe Nets can’t get anyone more valuable, Al is proving he can still contribute for a contender, Celtics get a good defender and a young all-star. I love Al and have no idea what’s going to happen with Simmons, but would even be ok with throwing some additional assets. I still think the nets could get somebody better and if I could choose I’d rather trade for Siakam, but after a bad start he finished the year strong, so he probably isn’t available.

[Surferdad]

Crazy thought: Ben Simmons for Al Horford - yes or no?! Maybe Nets can’t get anyone more valuable, Al is proving he can still contribute for a contender, Celtics get a good defender and a young all-star. I love Al and have no idea what’s going to happen with Simmons, but would even be ok with throwing some additional assets. I still think the nets could get somebody better and if I could choose I’d rather trade for Siakam, but after a bad start he finished the year strong, so he probably isn’t available.

Wow. So you want to
1) solve the Nets biggest roster problem (Simmons boat anchor contract)
2) give them the best glue-guy in the league and bolster their poor defense
3) infect the Celtics with a head-case who can't shoot
4) and give them more too?



Crazy indeed.

[boscel33]

I'm for keeping GWill in a 6th man type role.  I think we get the Horford replacement via one of the TPE's that we have.

[Vermont Green]

Could be Nesmith (plus someone else)? And we just play smaller...?

After all the success we have had with our two-big line up, you want to build the team around a line up with a 6'-5" wing, who is not all that good, as your PF?  I would rather just go with Grant Williams in that case.

I am going to be very surprised if we need to replace Al Horford for next season.  It seems almost certain that he will come back and I don't expect him to be all that much different at age 36 than he has been at age 35.  Unless something unexcepted falls into our lap, I doubt we do anything this off season in terms of replacing Al.

I look at someone like Marvin Bagley.  Now I don't think we are going to have any shot at him specifically at this point, he will likely now sign with the Pistons, but we should be on the look out for a player like him, under performing in a bad situation, and say at the trade deadline next season, take a chance on someone like that.  Al buys us time to allow us to be patient.

[Surferdad]

Could be Nesmith (plus someone else)? And we just play smaller...?

After all the success we have had with our two-big line up, you want to build the team around a line up with a 6'-5" wing, who is not all that good, as your PF?  I would rather just go with Grant Williams in that case.

I am going to be very surprised if we need to replace Al Horford for next season.  It seems almost certain that he will come back and I don't expect him to be all that much different at age 36 than he has been at age 35.  Unless something unexcepted falls into our lap, I doubt we do anything this off season in terms of replacing Al.

I look at someone like Marvin Bagley.  Now I don't think we are going to have any shot at him specifically at this point, he will likely now sign with the Pistons, but we should be on the look out for a player like him, under performing in a bad situation, and say at the trade deadline next season, take a chance on someone like that.  Al buys us time to allow us to be patient.

Harrison Barnes?

[seancally]

Slo Mo, Miles Bridges, Harrison Barnes. Those are PF names I’d love to have. They aren’t Horford replacements because those guys don’t grow on trees. The names above give you similar/more offensive potency, still very switchable and defensively menacing. What you lose is the size to cover Embiid and Giannis.

[stes]

I mean just a year ago he was an all star and finished second in the DPY voting. He is a head case, but what if he could comeback from whatever is going on with him? Horford is 35 and was widely considered a negative value asset a year ago. If somebody proposed this trade in January 2020 it would be considered crazy, but the other way around. My thinking was: what is the best prospect the C’s could try to get for Horford, if they decide they should trade his salary. And it’s good that it works the Nets, as you say, because I suppose the trades should work for both sides

Crazy thought: Ben Simmons for Al Horford - yes or no?! Maybe Nets can’t get anyone more valuable, Al is proving he can still contribute for a contender, Celtics get a good defender and a young all-star. I love Al and have no idea what’s going to happen with Simmons, but would even be ok with throwing some additional assets. I still think the nets could get somebody better and if I could choose I’d rather trade for Siakam, but after a bad start he finished the year strong, so he probably isn’t available.

Wow. So you want to
1) solve the Nets biggest roster problem (Simmons boat anchor contract)
2) give them the best glue-guy in the league and bolster their poor defense
3) infect the Celtics with a head-case who can't shoot
4) and give them more too?



Crazy indeed.

[td450]

We have GWill and we have Theis. What Horford gives us that they can't is the ability to cover the more physically dominant players without breaking the switching scheme, i.e: he can cover smaller guys in spots too.

Horford frees up Robert Williams so he can defend the rim as a second defender. Maybe Williams can evolve so he doesn't need that, but smaller power forwards are not going to recreate that role.

He also is a pretty great fit as a versatile complementary offensive player.

I doubt we get someone who can do all of that. I would think that Stevens would prioritize the defensive end first.

[Surferdad]

I mean just a year ago he was an all star and finished second in the DPY voting. He is a head case, but what if he could comeback from whatever is going on with him? Horford is 35 and was widely considered a negative value asset a year ago. If somebody proposed this trade in January 2020 it would be considered crazy, but the other way around. My thinking was: what is the best prospect the C’s could try to get for Horford, if they decide they should trade his salary. And it’s good that it works the Nets, as you say, because I suppose the trades should work for both sides

Crazy thought: Ben Simmons for Al Horford - yes or no?! Maybe Nets can’t get anyone more valuable, Al is proving he can still contribute for a contender, Celtics get a good defender and a young all-star. I love Al and have no idea what’s going to happen with Simmons, but would even be ok with throwing some additional assets. I still think the nets could get somebody better and if I could choose I’d rather trade for Siakam, but after a bad start he finished the year strong, so he probably isn’t available.

Wow. So you want to
1) solve the Nets biggest roster problem (Simmons boat anchor contract)
2) give them the best glue-guy in the league and bolster their poor defense
3) infect the Celtics with a head-case who can't shoot
4) and give them more too?



Crazy indeed.

But he still can’t shoot so he doesn’t fit.

[Vermont Green]

Could be Nesmith (plus someone else)? And we just play smaller...?

After all the success we have had with our two-big line up, you want to build the team around a line up with a 6'-5" wing, who is not all that good, as your PF?  I would rather just go with Grant Williams in that case.

I am going to be very surprised if we need to replace Al Horford for next season.  It seems almost certain that he will come back and I don't expect him to be all that much different at age 36 than he has been at age 35.  Unless something unexcepted falls into our lap, I doubt we do anything this off season in terms of replacing Al.

I look at someone like Marvin Bagley.  Now I don't think we are going to have any shot at him specifically at this point, he will likely now sign with the Pistons, but we should be on the look out for a player like him, under performing in a bad situation, and say at the trade deadline next season, take a chance on someone like that.  Al buys us time to allow us to be patient.

Harrison Barnes?

Sure, I would not have an issue with that, depending on what we had to give up to get him.  A few years a ago we got to the ECF with Marcus Morris as our main PF (alongside Horford).  The following year we were good with him also.  I see Barnes as a similar, perhaps better, version of Morris.  Kind of like Crowder in PHO, also a similar role.