It’s that time of the year again, the NBA free agency period is finally upon us. Many teams look to increase their chances of winning it all by adding quality players to their rosters. While some organizations look to make huge splashes with big name free agents, some prefer to target savvy veterans. One of these sought after veterans is Al Horford, who will reportedly be joining the third team of his career, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Al Horford Agrees to Join the Philadelphia 76ers

New Destination

The 76ers have reportedly signed the big man on a four-year deal worth $109 million, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. This caught many by surprise because of how the Boston Celtics and 76ers were rivals and had many great battles.

Breaking: Al Horford has agreed to a four-year, $109M deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, agent Jason Glushon tells @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/DXCHU96NYe

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 1, 2019

It was reported that Horford tried to get a deal done to remain with the Celtics but the money was significantly less than the 76ers deal. With Horford likely on the back end of his career, it is easy to see why he made the decision.

Potential Impact

Horford will join a 76ers squad that was a bounce away from making the NBA Finals. He should give them some much needed veteran leadership and a dependable stretch four. Because Ben Simmons has not shown the ability to hit perimeter shots, it is vital for other players on the floor to create space and driving lanes.

Another underrated part of Horford’s game is his ability to defend the rim. He is very intellectual around the basket and tries to utilize his timing to his advantage. Ironically, he was praised for his ability to defend Joel Embiid during the playoffs last year.

The frontcourt of the 76ers will certainly be a force to deal with and it will be interesting to see if the backcourt can pull their weight. Even though the 76ers had some key losses in Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick, Horford should certainly add a much-needed veteran “glue guy” presence. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the new-look Eastern Conference.

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