When NBA free agency starts, the Boston Celtics are confident that they have a “real chance” to sign All-Star center Al Horford.
The Boston Celtics’ inactivity at the NBA trade deadline was a disappointment to many basketball fans. Not only because the day was so quiet in general, but because the Celtics were widely believed to be the team with the highest likelihood of trading for a star player, thanks to a plethora of assets.
Yet, as the clock wound down and nothing happened, it was clear that Danny Ainge was going to wait until free agency to make the changes he wanted.
Long term, it’s the best strategy, as it means Boston didn’t need to sacrifice any major assets for a player who could be hitting free agency anyway. And as Adrian Wojnarowski has discussed on a recent podcast, things have certainly worked out for the better this way as the Celtics are now confident they can sign Atlanta Hawks All-Star center Al Horford this summer (transcribed by Cameron McDonough of NESN):
"But then in summer free agency, part of the reason sources tell me that Boston didn’t make an immense offer to Atlanta for Al Horford was because Horford is a free agent this summer. Boston feels like it’s got a real chance to get Horford in free agency. I think Danny Ainge’s patience is going to pay off. They’re going to get a chance to better this team, and I think the opportunity is coming either around the draft or after in free agency."
With both Ainge’s confidence in the matter and Wojnarowski adding that he believes their opportunity to improve is coming, it’s encouraging to think what could happen for the Celtics after the season.
As so many basketball fans and critics talked about prior to the trade deadline, Horford would be an ideal acquisition for the Celtics’ frontcourt. Their offense thrives from ball movement, selfless play and bigs such as Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk who can space the floor.
In Horford, they can get the perfect upgrade to suit this style, with the kind of passing, mid-range game, driving ability and 34.7 percent three-point shot (with a career-high 1 three-pointer made per game) to come in as the new starter. As for his defense, he’s been one of the better defensive centers in the NBA for some time now, both protecting the rim and covering bigs away from the basket.
To hear that Ainge thinks the Celtics have a “real chance” to sign Horford should be nothing but exciting for fans. They can finally add their new star and scorer to help Isaiah Thomas, and they’ll keep the Brooklyn Nets’ 2016 first-round pick and all their key role players, too. Plus, as they continue to shatter expectations as the third seed in the Eastern Conference at 39-26, they are clearly fine to carry on with the team they had.
We’ll have to wait and see how free agency pans out, of course, but the Celtics will have mastered the entire situation perfectly if they are able to land Horford this summer.