Boston Celtics: 5 wildly ambitious free agency targets in next 3 years

DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers

When he’ll be available: Free agent in 2018 (player option) or 2019

Right now, Horford fits best in the Celtics’ current lineup as a center. However, in an ideal world, he’d slot in as Boston’s power forward alongside a more defensive-minded center. To fill that void, look no further than DeAndre Jordan.

Obviously there are some potential roadblocks with signing the Los Angeles Clippers’ star big man. First and foremost, he should hit the market in 2018 and will be demanding top dollar. Letting Thomas and Aron Baynes walk would open about $10.5 million. Trading away Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart could potentially free another $11 million or so.

That won’t get Jordan under contract, but Danny Ainge can work magic when needed. Maybe he finds someone to take on Horford’s contract with the plethora of draft assets currently in his pocket. That wouldn’t create the “ideal” opportunity mentioned earlier, though.

Another option would be to pull off a sign-and-trade with the Clippers. They already did so with Chris Paul this offseason, sending him to the Houston Rockets in return for an abundance of players. If Ainge offered some serious draft compensation, Los Angeles may be convinced to bite.

It’s an interesting idea, but would take some serious maneuvering to pull off. Then again, it’s not like Boston doesn’t have experience in that department.