NBA Trade Rumors: 15 Teams That Should Trade For Al Horford

7. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets may be looking to trade Dwight Howard, who is also reportedly interested in being traded to Atlanta, but is it possible they could facilitate an Al Horford trade without including D-12? If so, the Hawks could nab a few useful assets and the Rockets could add Horford to a fearsome frontcourt, giving them insurance over the summer too.

Howard is going to opt out of his contract so he can maximize his earning potential in free agency, but the Rockets may not want to overpay for his services at that point. They’d be doing the same thing in trying to re-sign a soon to be 30-year-old in Horford, but Horford is the better player at this point and his game should translate better than Howard’s as they continue to age.

For the Hawks, they’d be getting a starting-caliber wing player who could overtake Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha at the 3-spot, a 24-year-old prospect that Houston seems to have given up on in Terrence Jones, and a future draft pick to sweeten the pot.

Unfortunately, this may not be enough of a ransom to fill the hole left by Horford’s departure. Though Splitter could step into the starting lineup, players like Jones and Trevor Ariza are closer to being win-now moves. If the Hawks trade Horford, they’ll need to be accepting either a package of talent that elevates them to another level to compete now, or blowing it up to start over.

This deal accomplishes neither goal, and trading for another frontcourt player doesn’t solve Houston’s overarching problems either — especially since both Horford and Howard would be hitting free agency at the same time this summer.

Next: No. 6