Celtics Reach Extension With Former Sixers Center
The Boston Celtics caught a lot of heat for going back to Al Horford after his underwhelming stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fast forward almost two years later, and the Celtics have extended Horford after he’s proven to still have plenty of gas left in the tank after making his return to Boston last season.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Horford and the Celtics agreed on a two-year extension. The new contract is worth $20 million, keeping the big man around through 2025.
“The extension eliminates the possibility of a repeat of 2019, when Horford left the Celtics for a more lucrative free agency offer. The possible free agent centers available next summer include Indiana's Myles Turner, Chicago's Nikola Vucevic, Milwaukee's Brook Lopez, Dallas' Christian Wood and San Antonio's Jakob Poeltl.”
During the summer of 2019, Horford wrapped up a three-year stint in Boston. After testing free agency, the veteran reached a notable contract with the Sixers, which was worth over $100 million over four years.
Horford’s time in Philadelphia was forgettable. In 67 games, Horford averaged 30 minutes on the floor. During that time, the veteran put up 11 points per game while draining 45 percent of his shots.
The Sixers hoped a front-court pairing of Joel Embiid and Horford would help the Sixers go a long way in the playoffs. Not only did Horford and Embiid struggle to fit on the court during the regular season, but the Sixers couldn’t get past Horford’s former team in the first round of the 2020 playoffs.
When the Sixers changed the coaching staff and the front office during the 2020 playoffs, the new front office decided it would be best to move on from Horford. On the night of the 2020 NBA Draft, Horford was moved to the OKC Thunder, where he played in just 28 games before getting shut down for the rest of the season.
Flipped back to Boston in another offseason move, Horford was happy to be back on the Celtics. Last season, he started in all 69 games he appareled in, putting up ten points per game while hitting on 34 percent of his threes and coming down with eight rebounds per game.
In the playoffs, Horford’s numbers were up to 12 points per game and nine rebounds per game as the Celtics made a run to the 2022 NBA Finals as Eastern Conference Champions. Although Horford and his team came up short to the Golden State Warriors, he intends to stick around longer as he’s established he belongs on Boston’s roster.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
