ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics between plays in the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on January 12, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images)
In the shock of the day, Al Horford has decided to sign a four-year, $109 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Al Horford is heading to the City of Brotherly Love.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Horford has agreed to a four-year, $109 million deal via Horford’s agent, Jason Glushon. It was a surprising move for the Sixers, who many believed were now in the market for guard depth now that J.J. Reddick and Jimmy Butler are gone.
Horford had spent the past three seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he anchored the paint of a Celtics team that was in contention for in the East in all of his seasons there. There is some concern from fans that the 76ers may have overpaid for the 33-year old Horford, who is far away from the player that he was when he was a member of the Atlanta Hawks. When it became clear that the Celtics were inclined to let Horford walk, his camp went searching for a deal.
Rumors began to swell two days ago about his destination when he began to follow Zion Williamson and Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans. The follow suggested to those who read the tea leaves that Horford may have had interest in joining the New Orleans Pelicans, who are in the market for a productive veteran on a young squad.
The Sacramento Kings were also in the mix for the services of Horford, but that dissipated today when the Kings instead signed veteran big man Dewayne Dedmon to a three-year deal. New Orleans also didn’t send smoke signals that they were interested in Horford, at least not for a high price.
That left the 76ers, who had some money to spend now that they signed-and-traded Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat.