Al Horford didn’t exercise his player option on his contract and will now become an unrestricted free agent. This has major implications for the Boston Celtics.
Well just when you think things can’t get worse for the Boston Celtics. They say when it rains it pours, but the C’s are looking like they have a permanent rain cloud over their head.
It all started with losing out on Anthony Davis. A multi-year plan to acquire the superstar went down the drain.
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Now Kyrie Irving is acting like a child and ignoring the Celtics who are still interested in possibly re-signing the point guard.
Then Tuesday arrived and things are not alright. The Boston Celtics may have a problem on their hands.
Al Horford decided to opt out of his contract and not exercise his player option for next season. This means he is now an unrestricted free agent.
No matter how this situation ends it will have a major effect on Boston. The question is will it be a positive or a negative one.
We will just have to wait and see what Horford decides to do. He is loved in Boston and he has admitted that he loves playing here, but we might have seen Al Horford play his last game in a Boston Celtics uniform.
So here are 3 takeaways from Al Horford’s decision to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent.
1. Loss of a veteran presence
After last season it is clear that the Boston Celtics need someone who will keep his teammates in line. Someone who has been in the NBA for a decent amount of time and knows about the ups and downs of the regular season.
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Al Horford is that guy and the Celtics need him now more than ever.
They may be professional athletes, but some of the Celtics best players are kids. Jayson Tatum and I are the same age, but our bank accounts couldn’t be more different.
The pressure that is on these guys is insane. All eyes are on them and one mistake has the capability of following you for the rest of your career.
Horford is a great guy who can show young players the ropes. He can teach them how to adjust to NBA life.
Also Horford has played for a long time. He has a bevy of basketball knowledge. Horford can only help your team get better.
2. Horford is helping the Celtics
Now things may seem bad, but maybe Al Horford is trying to help the Boston Celtics. If all goes well Horford will be back in Boston. He is one of the more popular players on the team.
The true storybook ending would be Horford retiring with the Celtics and hopefully finally getting a championship. If that is going to happen the Boston Celtics are going to have to make some moves.
Now things aren’t looking good for this scenario. Apparently, talks with Horford have gone sour and it looks like he isn’t coming back to Boston. Still, nothing will be certain until Horford signs on the dotted line.
Horford taking a $10 million discount would help the Celtics a lot.
Horford coming back at a lower number ($20M range) with length (3 years) on the contract would allow Boston to have the full $9.2M midlevel and $3.6M bi-annual exception to use in free agency. C's are still under the tax if both are used and Rozier brought back.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 18, 2019
All signs are pointing to Kyrie Irving leaving so if you want a cheaper point guard option Terry Rozier is your guy. He has proven that when giving the minutes he can perform at a rather high level.
Then you would hope that the Celtics would go out and use the extra money to re-sign a guy like Marcus Morris or find another option for the 2nd unit.
In the end Al Horford may just be doing the Celtics a big favor.
3. A perfect time to leave
The thing that scares you about the move is the timing. The Celtics are in a very fragile state at the moment. If Al Horford was going to leave the Celtics now would be the time.
Next season it looks like your main guys are going to be Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It will be sink or swim for these young players. Will they rise up to the challenge or fail spectacularly?
Horford’s time in the NBA is drawing to a close. He just turned 33-years-old and there is only one thing left for him to accomplish. Horford wants a championship.
We may see Horford take a pay cut, but there is no guarantee that it would be for the Boston Celtics. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he went and signed with a contender in the west.
I really hope that Al Horford stays with the Boston Celtics, because he is a great player to watch and is a key part of this team. If he was to leave it would be a major blow the C’s.