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

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) shows emotion after a made shot against the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Pacers 102-96. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) shows emotion after a made shot against the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Pacers 102-96. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 27, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) grabs a rebound against Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) in the first quarter of their game at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Los Angeles Clippers

Let’s get a little crazy. A straight up, two-team trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and Hawks wouldn’t make much sense for either side, but if you bring the Cleveland Cavaliers into the mix — as CBS Sports’ Matt Moore did in a hypothetical trade he first proposed on Twitter — then things get really interesting.

It goes without saying that such a wacky and major roster shakeup for three playoff teams would never happen in a million years, but it would make some sense for all three teams.

For the Hawks, they lose an upcoming free agent they’re skittish about re-signing and they also lose Paul Millsap, their best player this year. But that’s the price you pay for a bonafide superstar of Blake Griffin‘s ilk, and with Griffin locked in for two more years, Atlanta has its foundation to build around. Tristan Thompson may not be a sexy player, but he rebounds and can play the center spot.

For the Clippers, they deal the face of their franchise and the recently re-signed DeAndre Jordan to bring in two underrated stretch-bigs who might fit with Doc Rivers‘ new spread offense better. The Clippers would lose their Lob City moniker, but Horford is a terrific defender who could help cover for Love and opposing defenses would have a nightmarish time defending Chris Paul pick-and-pops with Horford, Love and J.J. Redick stretching the defense.

For the Cavaliers, they undoubtedly bolster the roster for a legitimate title run, adding two quality interior defenders who could help Cleveland match up with the Spurs or small-ball Warriors in the Finals. With both signed on for the long-term, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving would get a few cracks at a title and have a real chance of bringing “The Land” its first championship.

But the Hawks might be getting the raw end of this deal given Thompson’s noticeable flaws and his inability to spread the floor. The Clippers would probably prefer to just wait and see what they’ve got once Griffin returns rather than risk such a drastic roster upheaval. The Cavaliers would do this in a heartbeat (though they’d never admit it publicly), but I don’t think we’ll be so lucky to see the biggest blockbuster trade in NBA history like this.

Next: No. 8

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