According to ESPN.com, the former Florida Gators star has come to an agreement with the Celtics. Reports suggest Horford’s latest preferred options are now the Oklahoma Thunder and the Boston Celtics. He agreed to a 3-year deal worth $36 million. The deal has an average annual salary of $23.5 million, the same figure he was due before he opted out of the final year of his contract with the Rockets. Most will blame the Hawks for not going the extra mile to make sure their plan of a Howard-Horford duo did not fall apart.
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So in order to get that elusive title while delivering the Hawks their first championship since 1958, when they were in St. Louis, Howard will have to play a large role in getting Atlanta over the hump and past the likes of the Cavaliers in the East.
Next, as anticipated, the Hawks re-upped with shooting guard Kent Bazemore.
Miami took another hit after losing Deng, when Joe Johnson signed with Utah for two years and $22 million. Boston has never been a hotbed destination for free agents, and the signing of Horford may not necessarily change that significantly.
Horford was the topic of trade rumors at the deadline, with the Celtics reportedly among the interested teams.
Leaving the Atlanta Hawks, Horford will get $113 million over four years.
If Horford decides to leave the Hawks, Atlanta would need Howard to perform at a higher level than he did with Houston. He announced his decision on Saturday. Millsap and Sefolosha would be good fits in Luke Walton’s offense The Hawks would demand picks and the Lakers might be hard-pressed since they already owe their 2017 first round pick.
Howard, who has averaged at least 10 points and 10 rebounds per game in each of his 12 National Basketball Association seasons, averaged fewer points per game last season than Horford (13.7 to 15.2) but was the much better rebounder (11.8 to 7.3).
Howard, who had also drawn interest from the Boston Celtics, had been scheduled to speak with other teams by phone Friday, the source said. Earlier last season, the Celtics were looking to trade for Al Horford at the trade deadline. The 50-year-old played three seasons in the league during the 1990’s as a 7-foot-1 center for the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets.
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Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has plenty of money to spend this summer.
