For some time, it seemed like Al Horford continuing his tenure with the Boston Celtics was inevitable, even if he opted out of his contract.
Well, he opted out of his contract, but now it seems increasingly unlikely he’ll be wearing green next year.
According to multiple reports, Horford is planning to sign somewhere other than Boston. Those reports came just hours after news broke that Horford was opting out of his contract, but that both sides were interested in working on a new long-term deal.
Horford, even at 33 years old, has a lot to offer NBA teams, and still very much is a max or near-max player. He remains a defensive stalwart and can contribute well on the offensive end, even improving his perimeter shooting ability while with the Celtics.
So, where might Horford land? During an appearance on NBC Sports Boston’s, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan suggested the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers could be two potential landing spots.
MacMullan’s logic is that if the Lakers’ deal for Anthony Davis does, in fact, go through on July 6, then they won’t be able to land another max player. The next best things is a player like Horford, whom L.A. likely would be able to afford. As for the Pacers, MacMullan points out that they probably will have a ton of cap room but will struggle to land one of the premier free agents, making someone like Horford more attainable.
She points out that these are just her opinions and wasn’t sourcing anything. However, there’s plenty of logic behind those two teams, to the point that Horford heading to either destination wouldn’t necessarily be surprising.
