NBA Trade Rumors: Could Paul Millsap and Al Horford reunite on Boston Celtics?
If the NBA Trade Rumors are true that Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks could be on the move come February, the East could be in store for a shakeup. Millsap will be a great addition for any team but a player that has put in as much time as he has in the league only deserves to be shipped off to a contender. There are teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets and the Toronto Raptors that could make a run for him but only one team has the assets to offer Atlanta. The Boston Celtics.
This past offseason they were able to land Al Horford, who has added muscle in the paint but if the Celtics were able to land his former teammate in Atlanta, then the Celtics may have just punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Millsap will not come cheap. He’s signed through the 2018 season with an annual salary of $20M but his numbers suggest that he is worth that risk. In 31 games so far he has averaged 18 points and nine rebounds and that’s with an entirely different cast than what he’s used to. Dwight Howard and Millsap have yet to find the chemistry that Horford and Millsap had but the team may be looking to get younger and Millsap will eat well into the salary cap come 2018. If they are able to get a few young players in return and possible a 2nd round pick, there’s no way the Hawks could turn that deal down.
The Celtics, if they are serious about making a title run will have to include possibly Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, and a 2nd round pick. The Celtics fear the Millsap might bolt in 2018 and will look to get ahead of the curve. This will put the Celtics ahead of the Raptors and their frontline will be the same as the one that helped push the Hawks to 60 wins a few seasons ago. Pairing Millsap, Horford with Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, the C’s have the weapons to give LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a run for their crown.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.