The Boston Celtics have been about as active as anyone in trade talks since last summer. Danny Ainge has made it clear that he likes his team, but he feels like they are missing a star player to really bring them over the top. The Celtics have a ton of assets that they could trade in order to acquire that star player, but they haven't found the right deal just yet.
At the trade deadline, there were a lot of star players said to be available, but the Celtics didn't pull the trigger on any of them. A couple of players that they were linked to included Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler and Al Horford. Horford seemed like the most realistic trade target of the bunch, but Boston didn't make a deal, partially because Horford is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Horford will be 30 years old when he hits the open market, but the Celtics believe that he would be a perfect fit for their team. They could have traded assets for him this season, but they figured that they would go after him this summer, so they don't have to give up anything. The Celtics reportedly have a very "real chance" of signing Horford this summer, which would make the move to not trade for him this season look even better than it already did.
While many people believe that the Celtics have a great shot at getting Horford, it could be added to by the fact that the Hawks are considering a rebuild. Atlanta has peaked with their current core, and it seems as though giving a 30-year-old a max contract through his age 35 season wouldn't be in their best interest.
An interesting tidbit regarding Horford possibly joining the Celtics next season is the fact that he is one of the players that Kevin Durant would like to play with. Durant will be the biggest fish on the free agent market, and although the Celtics have rarely been mentioned as a possible destination for him, luring Horford to Boston could make that a possibility.
This is obviously all just speculation at this point, but the idea of the Celtics signing Horford seems extremely realistic. No matter which way you look at it, the Celtics' future is very bright. They are currently the third best team in the Eastern Conference, they have a very young team and a lot of assets, and players want to play for their young superstar head coach Brad Stevens. Boston has been in a lot of trade talks over the past year, but don't expect that to stop, as they should be at the forefront of trades and free agency again in the summer of 2016.
