It appears Al Horford’s time with the Boston Celtics is about done, but might he remain not just in the Eastern Conference, but also the Atlantic Division?
The big man reportedly opted out of the final year of his deal with the Celtics on Tuesday morning. Initially, it was expected he’d re-sign with the Celtics on a new long-term deal, but that notion blew up when news broke that he was preparing to sign elsewhere.
A tremendous defender that can contribute in a variety of capacities on the offensive end, it was expected that Horford would have plenty of suitors in free agency. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan suggested two possible destinations, then NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakely, citing a league source, reported Wednesday morning that the Brooklyn Nets are a team to look out for.
Of course, the most interesting thing about this is that Kyrie Irving also is expected to bolt from Boston for Brooklyn, who will have the money to execute deals for both players as they look to take the next step after a quality 2018-19 campaign.
Should the Nets pull off deals for both players, it certainly will be some nice revenge for Brooklyn after getting fleeced by Boston in the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade back in 2013. In the meantime though, the Celtics remain a least a little “hopeful” they can convince Horford to stay.
