Let’s not forget about Al Horford.
While the collective focus of Boston Celtics fans understandably is directed toward Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the 33-year-old Horford is flying under the radar. The veteran big man can opt in to the final year of his current deal for approximately $29 million, or he could do what Irving just did and hit the open market.
Should Horford decline his player option, many believe he’d leave the Celtics for a better deal, a better shot at a ring or a combination of the two. However, there still may be a way for Boston to lure Horford back into the fold.
Check out these tweets from NBA insider Steve Kyler, who believes Horford would be taking a huge risk if he opts in:
I think if the Celtics offer to secure the rest of his career Al would re-sign. If he opts in, I think he is trade bait. https://t.co/BTOikY9mAg
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) June 15, 2019
So you are 33, you have one year left on your deal at $30m… whats more value, one year at $30, or 3 at $18-20m? — also if you opt out, and re-sign, you are trade restricted. https://t.co/8COL2aWFH7
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) June 15, 2019
Whether the Celtics would be willing to commit three years and roughly $60 million to Horford is anyone’s guess. There’s also no guarantee that Horford could land such a deal on the free agent market.
As for being trade bait, could one year of Horford at $29 million be a useful asset in a deal for another star, such as Clint Capela? Again, your guess is as good as ours.
