Earlier this month, Boston Celtics big man Al Horford declined to pick up the player option on his deal for the 2019-20 season. At first, there was some hope in the organization that he would re-sign. Now, though, it appears that won't be the case. Several teams have shown up in pursuit of the former No. 3 overall pick in recent days, but it sounds like the New Orleans Pelicans are not in the hunt.
Sad news, @BillSimmons. I've been strongly advised, in the wake of our pod, that New Orleans is NOT the stealth suitor in the Al Horford Sweepstakes. Our search for Horford's destination continues …
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 26, 2019
Horford, now 33 years of age, would be a fine addition to just about any NBA team. The former University of Florida standout made 68 appearances with the Celtics last season (all starts), racking up averages of 13.6 points on 53.5 percent shooting from the field (36.0 percent from beyond the arc), 6.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.3 blocks in 29.0 minutes per outing.
Several agents around the league believe that Horford will be offered a lucrative deal from another team. In fact, Stein recently reported that Horford's future deal could be worth an estimated $112 million. The Pelicans, Mavericks and Clippers were thought to be a few of his possible suitors, but it seems New Orleans can be taken off that list now.
Exactly where Horford will be playing next season is still up for debate, but there is no ignoring the fact that several teams are interested in his services.
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