A key development has come out of the Oklahoma City Thunder camp and it's not good news for Al Horford. According to a report, the Thunder have decided to shut down the veteran big man for the rest of the season as they look to focus on youth development the rest of the way.
This reports comes via ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski:
As the Oklahoma City Thunder turn to younger players in the nightly rotation, five-time All-Star center Al Horford will no longer will be active for games this season, sources told ESPN.
Woj also stated in his report that despite this recent development, Horford will remain with the team. He will reportedly continue to train at the team's facility.
This could all change in a heartbeat, though, with the possibility of a buyout looming. Then again, Horford is still owed $81 million over the next three years (including this season), so a buyout will clearly have a significant impact on the Thunder's finances both in the short and long term.
Horford's albatross contract is also believed to be one of the reasons why OKC was unable to move him prior to the trade deadline. This was the Thunder's Plan A, but with Horford turning 35 next season, no team in the NBA was willing to absorb his $27 million-per-season contract.
Woj also reported that Thunder general manager Sam Presti has “pledged to work w/ Horford and his agent Jason Glushon on finding a destination that fits better with this stage of his career.” Horford is clearly no longer part of OKC's plans for the future and he will likely be joining a contender for next season.