Al Horford is expected to be one of the LA Clippers’ main targets this summer, but rumor has it the Dallas Mavericks are favored to land the big man.
It’s been an exciting 24 hours for fans of Al Horford. This time yesterday, the 12-year veteran was expected to re-sign with the Boston Celtics on a more team-friendly deal after opting out of his $30 million player option. But something changed between Tuesday morning and night, because by the time the day was over, Horford’s intentions were to sign a three-or-four-year deal elsewhere. The LA Clippers are among the teams that are expected to target him, but according to rumors, the Dallas Mavericks are the team to watch out for.
According to The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor, the Clippers are interested in adding Horford to their team, as well as the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers. Of those three teams, though, it’s Dallas that’s the favorite to land the veteran center.
Horford is expected to demand as much as a four-year, $100 million deal this summer, which Marc Stein reported could already be available for him and may have led to his conversations deteriorating with the Celtics.
I don’t think a three-year deal worth $70-80 million is necessarily out of the question here for the Clippers, especially if Horford’s main concern is winning. If LA can create the money to pair him with Kawhi Leonard (which would have to involve trading Danilo Gallinari), Horford could be willing to sacrifice a chunk of that salary if it means he can play for a team that could be a title contender as soon as next season.
As it stands, though, it sounds like Horford will be leaning towards taking the money and teaming up with the likes of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
O’Connor also noted that the Lakers could be in play for Horford, though considering their current situation, they’re expected to be less of a threat than the Mavericks are. It would take some work for Los Angeles to create the room necessary to sign a player like Horford now that the Anthony Davis trade is all but completed, and they may be hesitant to compromise any cap room that could be reserved for high-end role players.
If the Clippers land Horford, they wouldn’t necessarily have to pair him with Leonard. A team fronted by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Horford and another solid contributor could still be good enough to contend for a playoff spot, though they likely wouldn’t have the title contender label unless they bring in a max-level player.
If the LA Clippers find themselves in a bidding war for Horford, it may be best to back out and focus on a cheaper big that can still rebound the ball efficiently and protect the rim.