Al Horford

[King Ken]

This can't be right...can it?

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Of course it's false.

He might be the first Atlanta Hawks elite to win one. Since most barely played outside of Atlanta. Congrats to the Atlanta Hawk GOAT. Only 2nd to St. Louis Hawks, Bob Pettit.

[Jamaaliver]

I love this dude.

I hope he immediately walks into retirement and goes into...coaching/TV/Public Speaking.

Probably my favorite Atlanta athlete of All Time.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[tbhawksfan1]

One of my favorite Hawks ever. Hated how he left. Only want Hawks to win

[Jamaaliver]

Confession: I still Heart AL Horford.

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[Rebound Mound]

It is incredible how bad we fit Horford and Josh together over al those years (same situation that could happen now with JJ and OO) and how well the Celtics have been using him, even playing a lot of minutes at his age, reaching a tittle and offering a very high level for a C that sometimes can even play PF without suffering when defending quick, young players...

[Jamaaliver]

It is incredible how bad we fit Horford and Josh together over al those years (same situation that could happen now with JJ and OO) and how well the Celtics have been using him, even playing a lot of minutes at his age, reaching a tittle and offering a very high level for a C that sometimes can even play PF without suffering when defending quick, young players...

There was a trade rumor 17 years ago that Memphis was looking to trade Pau Gasol and were interested in acquiring Josh Smith in return.


I used to dream about how well a core of Pau Gasol, AL Horford and Joe Johnson would have performed in the playoffs...

[Rebound Mound]

Uau... never heard of that...
Pau would have fit perfectly with Al. Both intelligent players willing to sacrifice for the team.

[dms269]

Still despise him.

Sent from my SM-G975U using RealGM mobile app

[Jamaaliver]

I believe one of the greatest mistakes this franchise ever made was allowing this dude to leave.
He should have been a mainstay on Atlanta Hawks teams through 3 consecutive eras.

Great locker room guy.
Great rep for the city/franchise.
Surprisingly effective on court producer.
AL Horford would have been a great resource for Trae and John and Jalen to lean on over the years.

At this point, most NBA fans won't even remember his Hawks tenure. He'll go down in history as a stinkin' Celtic!!!

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[HMFFL]

Hawks have needed an ownership that cares and wants to spend. The Atlanta Spirit Group and since have been bad.

I wish AL stayed. He was always overused during an era where all the centers seemed bigger.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

I really would have liked to see him continue his career in a Hawks uniform.

I'm surprised Milwaukee didn't scoop him up.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Hawks fans might get the reunion they’ve dreamed of with Al Horford



The Atlanta Hawks and new general manager Onsi Saleh have drawn rave reviews from across the NBA world this summer. The Hawks started their transaction cycle with a "buy low" trade to acquire Kristaps Porziņģis at a bargain-basement price, and Atlanta also added one of the most attractive free agents on the market in versatile guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In between those signings, the Hawks pulled off a draft-day heist with the New Orleans Pelicans, adding a high-upside pick in 2026, and there is real buzz about the Hawks as a potential contender in the Eastern Conference.

With that as the backdrop, Marc J. Spears of ESPN and Andscape introduced a new dynamic on Monday during a television appearance on NBA Today. Spears noted that the Hawks have interest in a reunion with free agent big man Al Horford.

“Golden State obviously expected him to sign last week, he didn’t.” Spears said on Monday. “Lakers, Milwaukee, and Atlanta, I believe are also interested in a nearly 40-year-old guy who also has retirement on the table. He’s still considering retiring, he’s not in any hurry. He’s got a sixth kid coming on the way, he lives in Atlanta and Boston in the offseason. I’m hearing that whether it’s Golden State and a lesser extent to the Lakers, being away from the family that far isn’t going to be in that decision.”

Al Horford has deep roots with the Atlanta Hawks
Horford started his career in Atlanta, spending his first nine seasons with the Hawks. Over that time, the now 39-year-old made four All-Star teams and captained a 60-win team in 2014-15 that was the best for the franchise since it moved to Atlanta. However, Horford left in free agency in 2016, choosing the Boston Celtics while the Hawks made the ill-fated move to add Dwight Howard in an attempt to overhaul the roster.

Since then, Horford has continued to provide massive on-court value, particularly in Boston. He was a key piece of the Celtics' championship team in 2023-24 and, while Horford is one of the oldest players in the NBA, he is still a high-level contributor. To that end, it would make complete sense for a host of teams to be interested in adding him this summer, particularly as the Celtics pivot into a retooling effort following the injury to Jayson Tatum and the trades of Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday.

As Spears notes, the Golden State Warriors have been seen as the leader in the clubhouse for Horford, but he remains available two weeks into free agency. The Hawks do not have a massive role to offer in a frontcourt that already includes Porziņģis, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. However, Atlanta does have a real chance to win games in 2025-26, and Horford could very reasonably return "home."

While it is far too early to dream of lineup combinations, Horford has also paired beautifully with Porziņģis in Boston, and a reunion of that partnership would make sense. Horford could also play easily with Okongwu or Johnson in the frontcourt and, given Horford's age and Porzingis's injury history, it would be appetizing for the Hawks to have both veterans to ease each individual burden.

The Hawks do have two open roster spots to work with and, while Horford would likely have to sign for the league minimum in Atlanta, his minimum pays more than $3.6 million given his decade-plus of NBA service. Atlanta would be wise to leave a standing offer for Horford and, while he could go in another direction, the Hawks seem to be at least somewhat in the mix as he decides.

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