Al Horford (Photo : Twitter)
The Boston Celtics lost out on the top free agents they were targeting in the off-season, but Danny Ainge still has some tricks up his sleeve.
While the Celts were confined to small, seemingly insignificant deals, they all add up to a "war chest" that they can use when the right opportunity presents itself. Boston Herald writer Steve Bulpett tweeted that Ainge is gearing up for a "Big and Powerful" trade.
"Hurricane Danny considering a big and more powerful move, but wants to retain flexibility. May look to get another storm involved."
A report from NESN identifies the possible "big and powerful" players that the Celtics are eyeing. Two of the most viable choices are Al Horford and Tristan Thompson.
Al Horford has been a Conference rival for years now, and he is part of an Atlanta team that has been middling in the playoffs until last year's breakthrough, when they finished first in the Conference. However, that still did not translate into a Finals appearance.
The former Florida Gator who won multiple championships in College may want to seek other options as he refused to negotiate for an extension and elected to test the waters of free agency. The Hawks may not want to gamble on the uncertainty and seek assets that they can use if they need to rebuild-something the Celtics have plenty of.
Having Horford on the team makes it more viable for Boston to make a pitch on the other free agents of 2016.
Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers may not be anything close to a franchise player but he wants to paid as such. This resulted in a contract impasse and the Cavs may need to explore sign-and-trade situations. Thompson can help the Celtics but they need to buy in on his price tag.
