NBA Rumors: Celtics to hold meeting with Al Horford tonight

By Liam Bodlak | Jul 1, 2016

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 19: Boston Celtics guard guard Isaiah Thomas, left, reacts after he is called for fouling Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha, not pictured, on a three point shot as Hawks center Al Horford looks on while Celtics guard Evan Turner, right, reacts during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Philips Arena in Atlanta on April 19, 2016. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

The Boston Celtics plan to meet with free agent Al Horford and offer the big man a max deal

The 2016 NBA free agency period has already been a wild one. So far we’ve seen max contracts, stars switching teams, and controversial deals aplenty. One of the biggest players in the 2016 offseason, in one way or another, is the Boston Celtics. So far they’ve already drafted Jaylen Brown, lost Evan Turner to Portland, and now, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, it looks like they’re going for the biggest move of their offseason so far.

The Boston Celtics are traveling to Atlanta to meet with Al Horford tonight, per sources. Isaiah Thomas and others will be there to pitch.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 1, 2016

Al Horford, save for Kevin Durant, is possibly the biggest piece in this year’s free agent crop. He’s a four time All Star, a proven commodity at the center position when quality centers are few and far between, and a consistent playoff performer.

The Boston Herald reports that Danny Ainge is willing to offer Horford a max deal, and the 30 year old Florida alum could very well be worth it. Boston’s current group of centers (Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, and Amir Johnson) simply isn’t enough to make them serious contenders for the Eastern Conference championship, and Horford would provide both scoring and leadership to a team that could use quite a bit of both. In addition to this, if Boston were to sign Horford, they’d still have enough money to make a play for Kevin Durant, and having another proven star in their lineup would make Boston that much more likely to sign KD.

Boston’s All Star point guard Isaiah Thomas will apparently be on hand to pitch to Horford as well, which should bode well for the Celts’ chances, as Thomas is well liked around the league and especially among Boston fans. Boston is a definite playoff contender in the East, a large market, and somewhere that could definitely use the big man. It remains to be seen how Horford will react to this meeting, and whether other teams will outdo Boston’s pitch, but as of now, Boston looks like they could be the frontrunner in the race for Al Horford.

Home/Boston Celtics