OKC Thunder: Boston Celtics viewed as ‘ideal landing spot’ for Al Horford

With three days to go between now and the March 25th trade deadline, the NBA media world will be in a complete frenzy, and we here at Thunderous Intentions expect to be a part of it for we believe the OKC Thunder will be active participants within the trade market.

Over the past few offseasons, Sam Presti has had ample success taking part in his wheeling and dealings and we believe this trend will continue on into this year’s trade season.

In possession of two relatively valuable veteran commodities that don’t fit Oklahoma City’s timeline in George Hill and Al Horford, one could easily assume that the team’s front office will be looking into offloading at least one of them by this year’s deadline.

Already this season we saw Presti ship off Hamidou Diallo and, perhaps even more shocking, Trevor Ariza, so one shouldn’t be all that surprised if he were to look into trading away Hill or Horford.

Recently, Bleacher Report took matters into their own hands in regard to pinpointing ideal landing spots for this year’s ‘biggest trade deadline targets’ and, when it came to deciphering the premier destination for OKC’s veteran big man, writer Mandela Namaste tabbed the Boston Celtics as being the top choice.

Boston tabbed as ‘ideal landing spot’ for OKC Thunder veteran big, Al Horford

Citing the team’s lack of quality options down low, Namaste believes that a reunion with the C’s former All-Star big could be an intriguing path for General Manager Danny Ainge to take:

"There’s been a lot of talk about the Boston Celtics landing another swingman, particularly the aforementioned Harrison Barnes. But while the Celtics certainly have their fair share of roster holes, the wing is not one of them, given Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s All-Star play this year.Danny Ainge should be looking to the frontcourt.Because of injuries and various other reasons, Boston’s lack of quality bigs has been noticeable this year. To address this concern, the team would be well-served to add a floor-spacing center, and there’s a familiar and available name who could fill this need: Al Horford.After a disappointing season in Philadelphia, the big man has quietly rehabbed his trade value in Oklahoma City, averaging his most points per game (14.3) in five years while recording a 3.03 assist-to-turnover ratio, sixth-best among centers. Horford is 34, but he’s still a playoff-caliber contributor."

This season, Al Horford is not too far off in regard to his per-game averages that he posted during his last All-Star season with the shamrocks back in 2018.

Through 27 games played with the OKC Thunder, the veteran center is averaging 14.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and just shy of a block per game on 45 percent shooting from the floor and 37 percent shooting from deep.

Sure, the Boston Celtics find themselves with many holes within their rotation that need tending to, which is why we believe they are unequivocally the most ideal trade partner for the Thunder.

However, perhaps their biggest hole is the position that generally requires the biggest of players, and Al Horford, being that he’s already proven to have ample success in their exact scheme in the past, should be viewed as a realistic trade option as we approach March 25th.