Horford for Rondo if Dwight Howard wants to play at home

[CelticConcourse]

If Dwight Howard wants to play for his home town team, and wants to play with buddy Josh Smith, this trade might work.

Boston trades Rajon Rondo and a 2nd.
ATL trades Al Horford and Jeff Teague.

Why ATL - Smith gets to play with his HS and AAU pals, and both players would benefit greatly from Rondo setting them up at the rim.  All the Hawks would have to do is plug in shooters at the 2 and the 3, to make up for their Big 3's lack of shooting, and they'd have a great squad. Jenkins will be in his second year, and can fill it up, and Lou Williams can score.  They could re-up Korver or go with ATL pal and FA Anthony Morrow.  RR, Smith and D-Ho be an amazing defensive grouping. ATL would be strong at the two positions, C and PG, where the Heat are weak, and if their wings were competent, could give Miami trouble in a playoff series. 

Why Boston - This moves allow the Cs to extend the KG era a couple of years.  Horford would be perfect next to Garnett - brawny enough to muck things up, and skilled enough to play in the post and out on the floor. Teague is a competent floor general who can shoot the basketball and isn't afraid of the big moment. If the Cs could add another shooter, like  FAs Redick or Morrow, they'd have a balanced squad that would be a tough playoff out.         

You're crazy if you think the Hawks would trade Horford and Teague for Rondo.  Teague averaged 15 and 7 last year so they probably wouldn't even want Rondo coming off injury...

Agreed. Teague is a great player, adding Horford is a terrible deal for ATL

[snively]

Jeff Teague is an RFA due for a payday. How exactly would he be included in this trade?

Horford is rock solid but Rondo is far more dynamic and more of an impact player.  I choose Rondo between the two.

[TripleOT]

The bi draw for ATL to do the trade is that it would be a way to get Howard to agree to sign there.  I'm speculating that Howard wants to play with his buddy Smith, who wants to play with his buddy Rondo (all total speculation on my part). So the trade is actually Horford and Teague for Rondo and signing Howard with their cap room. Atlanta does that trade eight days a week.

I guess an alternative would be to not trade Horford and Teague,  and to take a chance on Bynum with your cap space, letting Smith walk, or moving him for a scoring wing in a S and T.  IMO that isn't a team that will beat Miami. 

Miami is vulnerable to strong athletic bigs and PGs who can create offense against extreme defensive pressure.  A Big 3 of Smith, Rondo, and Howard, surrounded by sharpshooting wings, would be the type of team that could give Miami a run for their money.   

I have a feeling that Howard wants no part of being the man in LA. Houston or ATL are the expected landing spots for him if he wants out of LA, unless Howard's threat to leave without compensation would force the Lakers tom move him to Brooklyn for Brook Lopez. 

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Here`s another angle to look at this. If these AAU men are so keen on forming their little super team, why don`t they all come down to Boston to do it? Mr. Ainge pulls the trigger on that 3 team trade that was gonna bring Josh Smith to Boston at the cost of Paul Pierce, KG retires (possibly in a huff) and we offer his money plus the two or three million we get from waiving our non-guaranteed contracts to Howard and boom! We got ourselves a new big 3. Worried about shooting? We`ll still have Green, Terry and Lee who can get hot from behind the 3 point line, and Bradley. We`ll also have Bass to play the stretch 4. All in all why would Boston help an NBA franchise change fron being perrenial playoff fodder to title contenders, it ought to be the Boston Celtics

[LooseCannon]

Here`s another angle to look at this. If these AAU men are so keen on forming their little super team, why don`t they all come down to Boston to do it?

Because the salary cap doesn't work that way.

[TripleOT]

I don't see the Lakers doing a sign and trade with the Celtics for Howard so Boston can build a super team. ATL has the caproom to sign both Smith and Howard without an OK from any other team. I was speculating that Smith and Howard would want to play together with Rondo as their PG. 

Horford and Teague, with KG, PP and Green, would be a contender.  ATL, with Howard, Smith and Rondo, surrounded with capable shooters, would be a fearsome defensive team and top contender.  Win, win for those cities and the NBA, as two more EC teams can challenge the Heat.     

[celts10]

My Goodness, the way folks are talking about Rondo in this thread you`d think he`s just some run of the mill 12 point 6 assist per game point guard.

Yup. You build around Rondo, which I think Danny has done a decent job of with Bradley, Sully and Green.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Well if the Lakers won't do any deal that makes some other franchise a super team why should Boston?

[Cman]

Jeff Teague is an RFA due for a payday. How exactly would he be included in this trade?

Horford is rock solid but Rondo is far more dynamic and more of an impact player.  I choose Rondo between the two.

You choose a healthy Rondo. It's not clear he will be as good going forward given his injury. Other teams know this of course, lowering what they will give up for him.

[SparzWizard]

I don't see the Lakers doing a sign and trade with the Celtics for Howard so Boston can build a super team. ATL has the caproom to sign both Smith and Howard without an OK from any other team. I was speculating that Smith and Howard would want to play together with Rondo as their PG. 

Horford and Teague, with KG, PP and Green, would be a contender.  ATL, with Howard, Smith and Rondo, surrounded with capable shooters, would be a fearsome defensive team and top contender.  Win, win for those cities and the NBA, as two more EC teams can challenge the Heat.   

Two more EC teams can challenge the Heat, Bulls, Knicks, Nets, and Pacers.

The East is gradually becoming a super-conference.