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Hey Al Horford, did you hear Atlanta signed Dwight Howard?

Chuck - Red's Army July 1, 2016 Celtics News 39 Comments

Dwight Howard has reached agreement on a three-year, $70.5 million with the Atlanta Hawks, league sources tell The Vertical.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016

I’m no genius but there doesn’t appear to be room for Al Horford in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Celtics contingent is meeting tonight with Horford. Evan Turner, the soon-to-be Blazer offered this insight on the Celtics pursuit of Al:

Turner said Ainge did not give a sense of where the Celtics stood in the Durant sweepstakes, but he said that Ainge “seemed confident with Horford.” According to a league source, the Celtics were expected to meet with Horford Friday before visiting Durant Saturday. Their delegation was expected to include forward Jae Crowder, among others, a league source said.

According to Steve Bulpett, the Celtics will also bring a max contract offer to the meeting with Horford:

The Celtics will be flying out to meet with Al Horford tonight, and a league source fully expects that Danny Ainge will be bearing a maximum contract offer.

There had been talk during the season that perhaps the Hawks’ center, who turned 30 last month, wasn’t worth that level of a deal. But the Celts have apparently come around on that, and at four years for a little more than $113 million, he’d easily fit into their salary structure, with ample room left for a premier scorer.

Would love to get Horford’s commitment before the meeting with Kevin Durant.

MJ

Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA
Hawks have about $19M in cap space left, but effectively none if you include Horford’s hold. At least 1 of Baze and Horford definitely gone.
Matthew Diehm

I’ve been way too worried about cap/money/max deals…I just decided for sure, I want this one. It feels good. Let’s get it done.
- Mike Gibson
  
  Money is irrelevant, time to do it!
  - Matthew Diehm
    
    Exactly. It’s time to spend…now…
forever_green

Hey Howard..https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/12f2176cf086a3d663073c0701cfff62c3a552bd0196fc7a214dbc07d5af3085.gif
- Curt Hays
  
  What chicken shit. He didn’t even meet with Boston.
  - forever_green
    
    I guess not. Plus he answered my question, Dwight doesn’t want to win.
- Matthew Diehm
  
  Am I the only one thanking my lucky green stars that he didn’t meet with Danny? Howard can produce some points in the paint, rebound and defend. But It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything good about him in the locker room, in practice, improving his shooting touch/ft shot, post-up game is abysmal. I really didn’t want to watch hack a Dwight in Boston. For 5-7 million more I’ll take Horford who can defend, shoot, pass and attract other stars. Thanks Dwight for saving the season for me.
Astarot

I’ll be honest. I don’t like the number (on that deal) his age, his injury history. I’m also not a big fun of his game (objectively he’s very good tough) and I have a feeling he has only like two years left (on the level from last year, on the all star level I mean). But if that helps with Durant deal – this or next year (I doubt) then I’m willing to welcome Horford. Ainge should focus on young D -first bigs (at least for a 5 slot) either through draft, trades, market. If none of that is possible, leave that flexibility for next year/mid season and move on. Make some small moves in the meantime. Four years mean they’d have pay Horford when his productivity drops. You don’t want that on a contending team and we all know they won’t be real contender next year unless they get Durant. So there’s possibility Cs would fight for championship with Horford not so useful anymore ok you could always trade him but who wants aging star (Brooklyn, anyone?)
- adam
  
  You kidding right? Danny will trade them at the end if anything bad happens.
- Matthew Diehm
  
  This is right where I was up until today and I still 90% agree…I just think it’s time to go for it. (I am a fan of his game though) I just see a good fit here and another attraction for good free agents in the next 1-2 years, plus Jaylen Brown is kinda growing on me allot, and we still have Brooklyn’s picks…Horford can shoot, pass and defend the rim. Team player, veteran in the locker-room. I agree he’ll likely be overpaid possibly even as soon as the end of 2018 or so but I really like him in Brad’s system. I’m not so worried about snagging Durant. I doubt it will happen with or without Horford. I just think that with signing Horford, we’d still have cap room for another max depending on our moves, and if the perfect other star doesn’t come, we’d still have assets and room for a deal in a nice trade next season for a proven “star-caliber” player (outside shooting hopefully) and still have time to develop our young core with great veterans. This may be as bright of fireworks as we can get right now and the cap is still going up next year too, so, why not? He’d help in the playoffs and add toughness in the paint.
  - Curt Hays
    
    You can’t get great players on the cheap unless you’re a proven championship team like the Spurs. Remember all the cheap Allstars we got after 08? We’re gonna have to overpay to get back in the game.
    - Matthew Diehm
      
      I’m ready for that. I think it’s time to bust the moves and spend, If not right now then a big trade to at least punch us through to a higher level for free agency in ’17. Either way, I think we need to start it right f’n now and Horford is a legit start. He ain’t no David Lee though…
      - Astarot
        
        He ain’t David Lee for sure. I sold on attracting other free agents with Horford and with the progress they’d probably make next year with him on the roster. I’m just worried other guys could start look at him like he’s a aging star but that really depends on his game next year.
    - Mike C
      
      Exactly right! Its going to be painful to shell out this kind of money, but the Celtics are just going to have to ‘Bite the Bullet’ if they ever want to be contenders again.
- zippittyay
  
  We will be a better team with Horford than Atlanta will be with Howard. This will at least get us to the second round of the playoffs.
- Curt Hays
  
  If Durant goes to the Clippers, how would you feel if we got Horford and Blake Griffin?
  - zippittyay
    
    Like it’s Party Time!
  - Matthew Diehm
    
    Something about Blake has always been off for me, idk really what it is but whenever his name came up in trade talks before I couldn’t help but quietly hope they passed by. I can’t really explain why but maybe I’m just too old fashioned and he doesn’t seem like a “Celtic”. Not sure I like him in the locker room either.
    - Curt Hays
      
      From the videos online, he’s one of the funnest locker room guys in the league. He has a jumper, he can play D, pick and roll or pop, and he hustles. I think he’d turn into a Celtic.
      - Matthew Diehm
        
        You may be exactly right (Assuming he doesn’t punch Brian Doo or whomever in the face lol) It’s one of those things I guess, I see his game and I have noted his improvements through the years especially under tense scrutiny and he’s done really well for himself. So, we’d be talking something like: Thomas, Bradley, Crowder, Griffin, Horford? I don’t really see that getting us past the Cavs, close? Maybe? Who would we be giving up for Griffin? Would we wait until next summer?
      - Curt Hays
        
        I see that getting past the Cavs. You forgot that we have Brad Stevens. I’m thinking that we’d trade with LA in order for LA to make room for KD
      - Matthew Diehm
        
        Okay, I’m with Brad that’s for sure…So, LA gives up Blake on the cheap 1. to make room for Durant 2. Because of the off the court incident or wtvr, it’s a good farewell. Who we giving up though? Picks? Gotta think about the future and our present chemistry.
      - Matthew Diehm
        
        If picks…we’d have essentially traded the truth, the ticket and Doc for Griffin. No opinion really on that, just sayin…I kinda like the idea of feeding off of BKN for another couple years…
      - Curt Hays
        
        I don’t really care what picks we give up. We don’t ever use them on anyone worth a crap. We had 8 picks and didn’t make anything out of it. I’d give up the Nets pick for sure.
      - Matthew Diehm
        
        Agreed, but you never know with two more years unprotected? And this draft was weak you gotta admit. The best we could have done was use them in a trade for Jimmy Butler and from what I’ve read, the Bulls wanted a hell of allot along with those picks. I like our team how we sit, minus Sully or wtvr and adding a star. Not removing two or three key cogs that got us where we are, plus our potential firework picks. I don’t have that much faith in the draft and the stock will be way down with the rising of the cap but young cheap talent to develop with Brad at the helm on top of our key squad with room to add sounds allot better. I don’t absolutely need banner 18 this year, I just want to be able to contend for it for the next several years.
      - forever_green
        
        ^Ain’t this the truth.^
      - Astarot
        
        Exactly Thon Marker would be an investment. Ainge was probably thinking about him (I hope so at least) but he went 10 so…Buddy, I’m not so sure about him but considering Cs scoring trouble that would be quite logic. Well Ainge has his own way drafting people and it’s not particularly profitable one from Cs perspective.
    - forever_green
      
      I agree, Blake is a little over rated & too soft on D.
      - Matthew Diehm
        
        I can’t help but think so too. I’m not trying to shit on the guy, but he has also had the great benefit of playing with Chris Paul…I mean c’mon…CP3 has been spoon feedin Blake for a while now
  - Astarot
    
    Man that’s tough one. Neither great on D both overall good players. Griffin in his prime Horford probably still has about two years of his prime. But Griffin’s D scares me away honestly. Sure Cs would be better but how would that work in terms of championship chances I’m not sure. I even more skeptical when I look long term in that scenario. Only Griffin would be a long term investment. Of course you mean Griffin as a free agent (the only way I would accept that).
Mike Gibson

I think people get hung up on Horford’s age/ Injury history a little too quickly… most of the injuries have been upper body and fluke things like torn pectoral, etc. It isn’t like a 6’10” guy with a bad back or bad knees. The age at 30 is when a lot of guys go into decline, but his game isn’t the type where he has pounded inside, taken beatings, or been a go-to scorer (for better or worse), he also missed minutes on those legs with upper body injuries. I tend to think his game will age really well, and we are looking at 3 years of solid value (if there is such a thing anymore), and a piece that attracts other guys here beyond what we have.
gchasse

I have read a bunch of times that Horford is a good fit for the Celts. He provides the interior defense they need badly, and it seems that both he and Durant want to play together. One thing that might work with this is to trade for Noel. I don’t think that is a dead proposition, but I really like the idea of having both Horford and him. It would transform the interior defense. Just not sure what they would need to give up to get him, but I will contend that Philly is in a worse position now than they were at the draft. That said, I would only make the Noel trade if I could get him to extend his contract. He is a restricted free agent next year, and if he is not locked up, it could muck up the Celtics flexibility next year.
- Matthew Diehm
  
  I would tend to agree with this one, just as long as we add some kind of legit added scoring threat. Horford, Noel and Olynyk would be a solid big rotation and switching out to small ball with Crowder at the 4. We were ranked 4th defensively last year, we just need consistent offense.
swissflix

Can OKC offer Horford a max deal?
- Astarot
  
  I’m not sure, after Ibaka trade but I think they’d still need to clear more capso that would be getting rid of one or two more players.
  - swissflix
    
    Thanx mate.
swissflix

What if Horford goes to OKC just because they are much better?
- stephen
  
  then we trade for kanter so they have the room to sign him

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