One good indication that NBA season is just around the corner is the sudden explosion of trade rumors chatter floating around. And there are only few guys better in handling this business than Grantland NBA insider Zach Lowe.
In his latest edition of the 33 Crazy Predictions for the 2014-15 NBA season, Lowe tackled a potential trade that could involve one of the best big men in the Eastern Conference. It’s Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks.
Horford, who was sidelined most of the 2013-14 NBA season due to a torn pictorial muscle, is all set to start a new campaign with the Hawks. The 6-foot-11 power forward/center has already been cleared to engage in intense practice with the team and played a preseason game for the Hawks.
The 28-year old Horford averaged a career-high 18.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game before the injury, and is expected to be one of the Hawks’ best players at the low-block alongside Paul Millsap. However, that status alone won’t make Horford untouchable from trade talks, according to Lowe.
Lowe shared a nice insight about the potential blockbuster trade in the Eastern Conference:
“It happened in stealth mode last season, when the Hawks reached out to a select group and made it known that Horford could be had for the right price — including an unprotected 2014 first-round pick, per several league sources. Nothing materialized, and Horford is ready to return from another torn pectoral muscle.”
“A healthy Horford is a top-20 player on a below-market contract that runs through 2015-16 — long enough that some team could talk itself into gambling on him. He could net a hefty return for the Hawks, who have been happily skipping down the “pretty good with cap room” path under Danny Ferry.”
“They have worked to stay competitive, in hopes that they’ll eventually sign a star into that cap space and vault from “pretty good” to something better.”
According to Lowe, there are going to be a number of teams expected to inquire on the availability of Horford before the midseason trade deadline. After seeing how the Kevin Love trade panned out, the Hawks will ask for a hefty haul of assets in exchange for a top-20 caliber player in the league.
Big market ballclubs like the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and even the Miami Heat could gamble on Horford, though it all depends on the asking price the Hawks front office would demand.
The Knicks have a couple of quality youngsters in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert, while the Lakers have Julius Randle and a draft pick from Houston Rockets. The Heat, on the other hand, has some outstanding youngsters coming from Summer League (James Ennis and Shabazz Napier) and the ultimate general manager in Pat Riley.
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