According to isaiah thomas, other all stars have asked him about celtics

[BDeCosta26]

IT is one of the most popular players in the league. Guys all over the league have open admiration and respect for him. Guys around the league also are very abuzz about CBS. Guys on other teams go out of their way to heap praise on Stevens, as well as this Celtics team as a whole. If your a guy like Durant, and your looking for a place where you can create a legacy for yourself, go for chips, and be profoundly admired, you've gotta consider Boston. You put him on this team, plus whatever you can make of that Brooklyn pick, and you've got yourself a team that can make the finals, with plenty of assets left and young guys who can improve.

Pipe dream? Maybe. But were as well set up for FA as almost anyone else, and this team is gaining some real buzz around the league. Popular guy like IT can only help on that front.

TP for you. Great post. My thoughts exactly.

I'd also include Ainge in there. Honest with his players, and direct. Well respected around the league IMO.

With Stevens being a heckuva coach, and a players coach to boot, that will grab some free agent attention & then some. Not many bad apples on this team as well. IT4 was a great pickup, because he helps on the floor & off of it.

Agree. Every real basketball player should consider Boston in the offseason (of course free agent players) as a great place. Screw that stupid thing with the weather, you're not playing outside for JC sake... I really don't understand it, still, because you have greatest nba franchise, you have great city and better fans, you have probably future HOF coach, young and promissing players, s classy ownership and hell of a gm. What do you want more???

Well, it helps that we were a contender 5-8 years ago when a lot of these guys were coming up. But now, with Stevens gaining such a tremendous rep around the league, guys who were brought here recently from KG all the way to IT and Crowder have spoken VERY highly of their time in Boston and our current group has clearly bought into the tradition and is proud to wear that Celtic uniform. With it's most recent success, us already in 3rd place in the east with IT at the ASG and the leagues 5th youngest roster, there's legitimate buzz surrounding this team right now.

If we can make a run to the ECF, especially is we managed to make that an interesting series (something I think is within the realm of possibility), while also having a top 5 pick in the draft, someone is going to want to come here. Even if we just make some noise in the playoffs, with the young group we have and the assets coming to us in the future, with CBS on the sidelines, it would be foolish to think we don't at least have a chance at luring a big FA or getting a guy looking to move, to want to come to Boston. This rebuild is going better than anyone could've expected.

Danny will make whatever moves at the deadline, but I can almost guarantee that no matter what, we still have room for one max contract, because he knows he's as well set up as he could possibly be to make a run at a guy like Durant. Just imagine this current group without Sully, Lee and Jerebko but with Durant and Horford. If Ainge can pull that off, we'll have a contender for years to come with the three Brooklyn picks and a contender in the present. Ainge knows Horford is a rental, but he also knows he might be able to convince Durant to sign if he had Horford and our current core in place, with his top-5 pick

[crimson_stallion]

Where there's smoke... It certainly does look like there is at least some interest in Horford in playing in Boston, and this looks like the two sides have at least talked about this possibility.

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/watch-isaiah-thomas-joking-al-horford

I hope I'm wrong but if we do get Horford just don't see him making us THAT much more better or being able to attract other stars

Why's that so? You think that Amir, Zeler and Sully are his level or what? Just one thing to mention is enough: he's an All-star.

Because Horford isn't a transcendent talent.

He's not a guy who can be a #1 option on a contender, or a guy who who will individually dominate a playoff series and carry his team to victory (e.g. Pierce, Rondo).

He's a jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none player.  He just happens to be a really good one.

It's become blatantly obvious over the years however, that you can't really win championships with teams full of "pretty good" players.  Just ask the Atlanta Hawks, because they have been trying it for years now.

If Horford was as good as he is, an was also 26 years old, on a good contract, and had a history of good health, then I'd say go for it. 

But he's 30, he's declining, he's extremely injury prone, and he is certain to command a max or near-max contract.  Those are too many risks to take on a guy who isn't a dominant force.   

Dwight is in a similar situation, but at least I know that Dwight (even today) has the ability to be truly dominant on both ends of the court, and on the boards.  Horford just isn't that guy.

Horford is an above average offensive player, he's a slighly above average defensive player, he's a slightly above average rebounder, he's an average rim protector, he's an above average passer, he's an average-to-above-average athlete, he has average height/length. 

Hell, Horford is pretty much a walking advertisement for what "approximately average at everything" looks like.  It's his lack of obvious flaws in his game that makes him such a productive player, rather than his ability to excel at any one thing.  He is kinda the Jae Crowder of bigs.