NBA Rumors: Trail Blazers likely to go after Al Horford

The Portland Trail Blazers could be major players for Atlanta Hawks star Al Horford this summer.

The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the NBA‘s second half this season. After struggling out of the gates in the post-LaMarcus Aldridge era, the Blazers have salvaged what could have been a lost season and now have themselves currently positioned for sixth place in the dog-eat-dog Western Conference. While they’ll need to finish strong down the stretch to ensure a third consecutive postseason appearance, Damian Lillard and company have already proven they can hang with the league’s best (ie. the 137-105 victory over Golden State in February).

None of this is to say the team has completely recovered since losing Aldridge to the Spurs last summer in free agency, which is why speculation is ramping up that Portland could be a primary suitor for Hawks star Al Horford after this season ends. Horford’s contract is up in a few months, and while there will inevitably be a long line of teams trying to court the former Florida Gator, it’s looking like a guarantee that Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey will be front and center among them.

Horford has spent his entire career playing for the Hawks, so there’s a real possibility he decides not to leave at all. Even if he does, relocating from the southeastern United States all the way across country to the Pacific Northwest might be a hard sell for a player who has grown deep roots in Georgia.

But if the money’s right and Olshey can sell Horford on the Blazers as a legitimate contender with Lillard and Horford teaming up as a dynamic duo, then maybe we’ll be seeing the Dominican-born star change the red in his uniform after all come summertime.