Proposed Trade Ships 5-Time All-Star to Celtics for Al Horford 

Getty Celtics big man Al Horford may soon be on the move.

Al Horford’s fairytale return to Beantown looks to be on the cusp of imploding. Just seven months after re-acquiring the veteran big man in the Kemba Walker deal, the Celtics appear willing to ditch Horford at this year’s deadline. On January 19, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss reported that the Cs are exploring trade options involving the five-time All-Star as a way to shake up their roster.

Initial reports claim that Boston is seeking another center/forward in return for Horford’s services, which would theoretically point to the Jeff Greens and Jalen Smiths of the world as potential targets — two players that have been readily linked to the Celtics in recent weeks. Having said that, with the Celtics being urged more and more to move away from a double-big lineup, a case could be made that finding another big man to play next to Robert Williams may not be the best use of Horford’s trade value. Instead, Boston could unload Horford as a way to help solidify their backcourt, which is exactly what Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposes Brad Stevens and the Celtics do.

B/R Proposal Unloads Horford, Josh Richardson & Romeo Langford

Horford isn’t the lone player that Boston is shopping at the deadline. On January 17, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported during a segment on “NBA Today” that the Celtics are also gauging the trade value of Marcus Smart, Josh Richardson and a flurry of their young wings — amongst others.

Swartz proposes the Cs package the bulk of those players, alongside Horford, in a deal that he deems a “realistic” trade to finally pry John Wall away from Houston. Here’s how the B/R proposal shapes up:

• Houston Rockets Receive:
  • SG Romeo Langford
  • G/F Josh Richardson
  • F/C Al Horford