Al Horford Thread

[CelticFaninLBC]

Didn't expect Big Al to kick it into another gear this late in the season.

With the way Milwaukee leaves big men open, Boston needed Big Al to find his shooting touch. I'm wondering if Milwaukee plays smaller tomorrow with the way Al has torched them.

[Fierce1]

If Al continues playing at this level, Celts are going to the finals.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Watch on YouTube

I don't know about you but I hated it when people fouled my elbow with their face.....anyway

[Romeiro Celtic]

I hope with all my strengths that the Sixers implode next season. I can't be happy for Horford and I'm feeling disgusted to see him joining the Sixers. I hate all of them.

They did implode that year, but I regret making this comment. Al has always been such a class act and nice guy, and was just looking after a last payday that he got it, no problem with it. I'm glad he's back, I'm glad he's so happy with us as we're with him here.

Al if you're reading this...

Sorry, man! Never meant to say that I hated you, but I was so filled with emotions to see you leaving, because of how much I appreciated you, that I did let go this one bad feeling. But it never changed the admiration I have for you as a player or as a person and I can prove that! Ever since that game winner you've hit on Game 3 against the very Sixers back in 2018, I used the quote you gave the media about coach Stevens for my signture here on RealGM: "Brad Stevens is a genius, man" and never changed it. As a fan and admirer of work ethic, your display on and off the court and as human being, I really hope you stay here for a long time or as long as you wish, with the door always being open for you to comeback whenever you please. This is your home, although you may have spent more time in Atlanta, this is where you belong and have always belonged even since before you came here. Thanks for everything you've done and all the things you'll still do!

All the best,
Romeiro

PS: Let's kick the Bucks ass again and again after that, shall we?

[BostonCouchGM]

I haven really enjoyed our team all season. Awful start and then we haven’t played a healthy good team in months. But watching Horford do this at his age, albeit vs injured Bucks, has given me similar feels as I had watching the IT led Celtics. I hope it continues

[Fencer reregistered]

I got no problem with picking up Al"s full option for next year. He makes the rest of the team so much better. He is the true captain of the team. I would also tell him that he has a 10 mil a year deal, one year at a time, to play for the next 2 -3 years and after that an open contract for a big man's coach for as long as he wants it.

The Celtics may have no contractual choice other than to pay Al his full salary next season. Current Vegas odds are in the range of 4:1 against.

https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/futures/

[ConstableGeneva]

Don't mind if Horford's secret motivation (primary, secondary, or tertiary) for doing what he does in the playoffs is this... At all. Go for it, Al!

Read on Twitter

[ddb]

Al playing so well is obviously a massive bonus, but his value to the team goes well beyond his performance lately on the court. The consensus initial reaction when Brad reacquired Al last offseason for Kemba & #16 was that it was purely a salary dump that provided Boston with more financial flexibility moving forward. And yes, that was part of it. But beyond that Brad wanted Al back for a couple other reasons as well.
#1-Al is one of the best leaders in the league. On and off the court. His impact on Tatum, Brown, Smart prior to leaving for Philly was highly underrated. Those guys respect and love Al. And even though they made an Eastern Conf push in the Bubble without him, their ultimate demise losing to Miami had a lot to do with Al not being there to neutralize Bam. So Brad saw an opportunity to bring Al back, and pounced on it.
#2- Al takes great care of his body via training, diet, and rest. People sometimes forget that he was playing really well in OKC to the point where they had to shut him down because he was keeping them competitive in most games. So Brad knew that Al still had game AND was fresh because he sat out a good portion of the season. So not only did Brad reacquire a rested player, but he reacquired a motivated player that had been humbled in Philly/OKC.
#3- I've heard that Brad never wanted Al to leave, and that a major disagreement between Danny Ainge & Brad Stevens was that whole situation between Al & Kemba. Brad wanted to bring back Al, keep Rozier, Al wanted to come back, but Danny wanted to instead make a bigger splash to salvage losing Kyrie by instead signing Kemba via the S&T with the Hornets. This deal has turned out to be one of Danny's worst moves in Boston.

Long story short....Happy to see Al performing on the big stage in a city that he loves, and city that loves Al.

[playa-hater]

Don't mind if Horford's secret motivation (primary, secondary, or tertiary) for doing what he does in the playoffs is this... At all. Go for it, Al!

Read on Twitter

des this affect our cap this year?? next?? are we now over the luxury tax??

[ConstableGeneva]

Don't mind if Horford's secret motivation (primary, secondary, or tertiary) for doing what he does in the playoffs is this... At all. Go for it, Al!

Read on Twitter

des this affect our cap this year?? next?? are we now over the luxury tax??

For next year. Horford's full salary was already accounted for. We're under tax.

[Larry_Russell]

Yes I still want Beal.. But no way should we trade Horford. He is just too good+important and shows no signs of decline.. if anything he is getting younger

White, Nesmith, Theis and Fitts works....

[playa-hater]

Yes I still want Beal.. But no way should we trade Horford. He is just too good+important and shows no signs of decline.. if anything he is getting younger

White, Nesmith, Theis and Fitts works....

Deal

[sam_I_am]

Can Al ride the wave of last game and do it again tonight? He has been logging a lot of minutes so I expect him to struggle defensively at times. However, I think if he lets the 3 fly without hesitation like he did in second half of last game, they will drop. He was in a zone and he just didn’t hesitate. Gotta see more of that tonight.

[Parliament10]

Read on Twitter

[hugepatsfan]

The key with Horford is that it's not the $26.5M you have to think about. Let's just say we don't make the Finals... $14.5M is still guaranteed. So your decision to keep Horford isn't based on $26.5M. It's based on that incremental $12M. The $14.5M is being spent either way.

If we just make the finals, it's $19.5M guaranteed. So the savings become even smaller. If we win it all, it's fully guaranteed so moot point.

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

[RickyDizzle]

The key with Horford is that it's not the $26.5M you have to think about. Let's just say we don't make the Finals... $14.5M is still guaranteed. So your decision to keep Horford isn't based on $26.5M. It's based on that incremental $12M. The $14.5M is being spent either way.

If we just make the finals, it's $19.5M guaranteed. So the savings become even smaller. If we win it all, it's fully guaranteed so moot point.

Let's assume we don't make the finals. We waive Al, he gets 14.5 mill his guaranteed money, but then capwise we stretch it over 3 years. 4.8 mil each year for the cap.

Then you sign him for two years at 20 million, Al nets 34.5 mil over two years instead of up to 27.5 for one year, but if he was waived, most likely another team wouldn't pay him 20 million, it only makes sense for the Celtics really.

Net effect:
Al gets 24.5 mil for 2022-2023 (10 new contract +14.5 guaranteed part of old contract). Al gets 10 million in 2023-2024 fully guaranteed another year older.

For Boston despite the above, Al's cap hit would be 14.8, 14.8, 4.8... the last year is dead cap for the stretch will Al no longer here.

... seems better for both sides than a one year deal for 27.5.

[hugepatsfan]

The key with Horford is that it's not the $26.5M you have to think about. Let's just say we don't make the Finals... $14.5M is still guaranteed. So your decision to keep Horford isn't based on $26.5M. It's based on that incremental $12M. The $14.5M is being spent either way.

If we just make the finals, it's $19.5M guaranteed. So the savings become even smaller. If we win it all, it's fully guaranteed so moot point.

Let's assume we don't make the finals. We waive Al, he gets 14.5 mill his guaranteed money, but then capwise we stretch it over 3 years. 4.8 mil each year for the cap.

Then you sign him for two years at 20 million, Al nets 34.5 mil over two years instead of up to 27.5 for one year, but if he was waived, most likely another team wouldn't pay him 20 million, it only makes sense for the Celtics really.

Net effect:
Al gets 24.5 mil for 2022-2023 (10 new contract +14.5 guaranteed part of old contract). Al gets 10 million in 2023-2024 fully guaranteed another year older.

For Boston despite the above, Al's cap hit would be 14.8, 14.8, 4.8... the last year is dead cap for the stretch will Al no longer here.

... seems better for both sides than a one year deal for 27.5.

Not allowed. If we stretch his dead money hit you aren't allowed to sign him for 12 months.

If we take the full dead money hit in year 1 we can' re0sign him, but that brings me back to the point that we get no meaningful savings out of it.

[RickyDizzle]

The key with Horford is that it's not the $26.5M you have to think about. Let's just say we don't make the Finals... $14.5M is still guaranteed. So your decision to keep Horford isn't based on $26.5M. It's based on that incremental $12M. The $14.5M is being spent either way.

If we just make the finals, it's $19.5M guaranteed. So the savings become even smaller. If we win it all, it's fully guaranteed so moot point.

Let's assume we don't make the finals. We waive Al, he gets 14.5 mill his guaranteed money, but then capwise we stretch it over 3 years. 4.8 mil each year for the cap.

Then you sign him for two years at 20 million, Al nets 34.5 mil over two years instead of up to 27.5 for one year, but if he was waived, most likely another team wouldn't pay him 20 million, it only makes sense for the Celtics really.

Net effect:
Al gets 24.5 mil for 2022-2023 (10 new contract +14.5 guaranteed part of old contract). Al gets 10 million in 2023-2024 fully guaranteed another year older.

For Boston despite the above, Al's cap hit would be 14.8, 14.8, 4.8... the last year is dead cap for the stretch will Al no longer here.

... seems better for both sides than a one year deal for 27.5.

Not allowed. If we stretch his dead money hit you aren't allowed to sign him for 12 months.

If we take the full dead money hit in year 1 we can' re0sign him, but that brings me back to the point that we get no meaningful savings out of it.

Bummer. I though as long as he cleared waivers we would retain his bird rights and could sign him right away? Is the waive and stretch what negates that?

[Fencer reregistered]

40 minutes tonight. Highest on the team.