The Boston Celtics have agreed to sign unrestricted free agent center Al Horford to a contract worth $113 million over four years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo’s The Vertical broke the news on Saturday Night:
Al Horford plans to sign a four-year, $113M deal with the Boston Celtics, league sources tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 2, 2016
Celtic Pride!!!!!! ??????????????????
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) July 2, 2016
Report: Al Horford Agrees to Contract With Celtics
Horford’s contract will take him through the end of the 2019-20 season.
Horford averaged 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season for the Atlanta Hawks. For a center, Horford brings the entire package to a team. He does a very good job of spacing the floor for a big man. One of the biggest improvements in Horford’s game is his three-point shooting. He was able to boost his three-point percentage from 30% to 34%. A big that can shoot will fit into any offensive system quite easily. Although Horford’s numbers have dropped from recent years, this is more because of the style of play of the Hawks under head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Looking forward, Horford will prove stability as a reliable shooter and rebounder starting at center for Boston. The Celtics will need Horford to continue his consistent shooting and be an anchor for the defense in order to contend in the Eastern Conference in the 2016-17 season.
Horford is going into his 10th season in the league, during which he’ll be 30 years old. Until this point, he’s played his entire career in Atlanta, after being drafted third overall by the Hawks in 2007.
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