For the first time in his nine-year career, Al Horford will be playing for a team other than the Atlanta Hawks.
Horford made his decision on Saturday, and on paper, it looks to be a great fit, for both him and the team. He signed a max deal with the Celtics, a defensive-minded team that plays a style to similar to the one he’s used to, that plays into his strengths. And he got paid, big-time.
Horford actually broke the news himself, with Adrian Wojnarowski just seconds behind him.
Celtic Pride!!!!!!
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) July 2, 2016
Al Horford plans to sign a four-year, $113M deal with the Boston Celtics, league sources tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 2, 2016
Sources: Tremendous momentum for Hawks in final hours, w/ Horford returning and giving Hawks chance. In end, Hawks, Horford $6M total apart.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 2, 2016
This signing was huge for the Celtics, who are currently making a huge push in an effort to land Kevin Durant. While it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to, with the Thunder, Warriors and Spurs the current favorites, signing Horford was a step in the right direction, and Boston now has a chance.
Either way, the addition of Horford makes a team on the rise even better. Boston will be a contender in the Eastern Conference next season.
