![Al Horford is playing great in his second season with the Boston Celtics – [image credit: GD Highlights/Youtube]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/12/3/660x290/b_502x220x82/al-horford-is-playing-great-in-his-second-season-with-the-boston-celtics-image-credit-gd-highlightsyoutube_1716919.jpg "Al Horford is playing great in his second season with the Boston Celtics – [image credit: GD Highlights/Youtube]")
The Boston Celtics are determined to ride wherever their current roster will take them this season. According to a league insider, the NBA’s best team has no immediate plans to make any moves on the trading front, despite the fact that several quality big men might be up for grabs between now and the mid-season trade deadline in February.
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has every right to turn down trade offers for now, with his team enjoying the best start since the Big 3 era. The Celtics are holders of the best record in the league at 20-4 through the first quarter of the season.
The offseason acquisition of Kyrie Irving looks like a big win for Boston, while the rapid development of rookie Jayson Tatum and second-year forward Jaylen Brown has also allowed the Celtics to continue thriving despite losing Gordon Hayward to a season-ending ankle injury.
The value of Al Horford
While Irving officially becomes the bona fide superstar the Celtics were seeking for years, Al Horford remains the heart and soul of this flourishing Eastern Conference squad. An ultimate glue guy, Horford’s value goes beyond the stats sheet.
The All-Star big man is averaging a solid 13.9 points on 54.5 FG shooting with 8.1 rebounds per game, but his multi-tool ability to orchestrate plays, defend multiple positions and stretch the defense with a much improved 3-point shooting (44 percent 3-point clip) basically makes him the most indispensable player on the Celtics’ roster.
The turmoil in Memphis has made perennial All-Star center Marc Gasol a potential trade target for contenders looking for an upgrade in the frontcourt. The Celtics had previous interest in Gasol, but it’s unlikely they will pursue a trade for him with the success they are enjoying right now.
Trade chip for Anthony Davis
Then again, Horford is far from being untouchable from trade talks.
It’s true that Boston highly appreciates Horford’s contributions to the team, and yet they are very willing to use him as trade bait for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis.
Keep in mind that Boston still has multiple first-round picks to spare in potential blockbuster talks with the Pelicans. According to a reliable league insider, Ainge views Davis as a once-in-a-generation talent and he wouldn’t think twice about pulling the trigger for him if the opportunity arises.
At $26 million per year, Horford would be the ideal bargaining chip the Celtics could throw in along with a couple of first round picks in potential negotiations with the Pelicans for Davis. The 32-year-old Horford is at the peak of his NBA career and certainly not a bad option to build around in the initial phase of the Pelicans rebuild. More importantly, New Orleans gets the future picks they can use to get potential cornerstones.
As for the Celtics, acquiring Davis would officially put them in the Super-Team category alongside the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Davis and Irving leading, Boston has a great opportunity of creating a brand new dynasty in the Eastern Conference and perhaps in the whole NBA.
