Two contending teams in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, might engage in a massive deal involving two former All-Stars, with both squads aiming to have a better playoff push this season.
The Celtics surprised many last season when they reached the playoffs and are continuing to ride the momentum they had in their previous campaign, playing great this season having a young core.
Meanwhile, the Hawks, are still playoff contenders but are no longer the team that lorded the East last season and made it to the conference finals.
Currently, Atlanta is fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 27–22 record, the same record Boston has but is sixth in the standings.
Now, as both teams brace for the second half of the regular season, it seems like the Hawks have something that the Celtics want.
According to a report by NESN, while broadcasting for Boston's game last Friday versus the Orlando Magic, basketball writer Chris Mannix stated that the team inquired about Atlanta center Al Horford and point guard Jeff Teague.
Mannix said the Hawks are ready to hand the team over to third-year point guard Dennis Schröder, who is currently the backup of Teague.
Teague, who was one of Atlanta's leaders last season, is having a decline in his numbers but is still trusted to have the starting job at the point guard position.
However as the trade deadline nears, the 27-year-old point guard's name was recently involved in rumors, and the Celtics are reported to be interested in him.
But it is not just Teague that the Celtics want, as Mannix also said, "I've heard that Boston's inquired about several players with Atlanta, Teague and Al Horford."
Mannix mentioned that if the Celtics would try to acquire Horford, the risk is signing him to a new deal once the 2015–16 season closes since he is on the last year of his existing pact with the Hawks, although he added that Celtics general manager Danny Ainge likes to gamble.
