Celtics
“Given where things are with the Celtics I think he’s much more in play than he might have been a month ago.”
The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter-century after they beat the Celtics and ended Al Horford’s season.
Could the 39-year-old big man be one of the pieces to vault them into the NBA Finals next year?
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps floated the Knicks as a possible landing spot for Horford, now that his deal with the Celtics has expired.
“This summer, the Knicks have their top seven guys,” said Bontemps. “The Mikal Bridges trade was not a very good trade, but at this point it is what it is and they have the ability to go out and add depth to the roster.
“For example, Al Horford is a free-agent. I don’t think at this point it makes a lot of sense for Al Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics I think he’s much more in play than he might have been a month ago.”
Horford said during his Celtics exit interview last month that it was too early to decide on his future. He planned on taking a few weeks to think things over. It was a lot to process in the moment, he said.
After all, the conversation happened the day after the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks in the second round.
With the dreaded second-apron luxury tax penalties looming, the Celtics are likely looking to cut costs this summer. Jayson Tatum’s achilles’ injury has caused more uncertainty for the franchise then there has been in a while. The Celtics, who were title favorites for much of the year, underachieved even with a healthy Tatum at the beginning of the Knicks series.
There’s also the possibility that Horford, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Tuesday, could retire. There haven’t been any indications of that yet, but things could change as Horford thinks things over.
Bontemps said there are several factors that would make Horford a good fit with the Knicks. He mentioned Horford’s friendship with Karl-Anthony Towns, whom he has played with on the Dominican national team. He also mentioned how the Knicks are in need of more depth on their bench.
“If they go get Al Horford this summer, who I think would be an unbelievable fit on this Knicks roster and they go get another perimeter player to deepen their rotation and they have a bench of Al Horford, another ball-handler, Deuce McBride and Mitchell Robinson to go with their starting-five, that’s a much better team.”
“That’s a team that could beat the Pacers next year. That’s a team that will be in the mix in the East.”
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