KEY POINTS

  • Al Horford could end up returning to the Boston Celtics
  • The Celtics have a budget to take in the former All-Star forward
  • Horford's familiarity with the Celtics could boost the team's erratic season campaign

The Boston Celtics are expected to take in another player soon as they try to address their erratic 2020-21 NBA run.

Pundits feel that a big man would make sense, and the latest name to crop up is a former Celtic in Al Horford.

Since leaving Boston in 2019, things have not gone well for the 6-foot-9 player. He was given a lucrative deal by the Philadelphia 76ers but eventually dealt with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Though he has been putting up fair numbers, it remains that Horford may be playing on the wrong team.

This season, Horford has played in 19 games averaging 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists. These are roughly near his averages, but the contribution has not been felt.

The Thunder are at the bottom of the standings and could start dealing off some of its players soon.

In the case of Horford, that remains to be seen. But with OKC emphasizing younger players, Horford could be moved to a team soon. Would the Celtics be a viable landing spot?

The answer to that remains unknown. Al Horford is a proven commodity and needs to be in a system where he is fit.

To date, the only plausible team that makes sense is the Celtics. Horford is pretty familiar with the system of head coach Brad Stevens and a reunion could benefit both sides.

In the eyes of Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, this could make sense. He pointed out how Horford thrived with the Celtics from 2016 to 2019, but things just fell apart.

The five-time All-Star wanted a big payday, and the Celtics were no ready to hand him a hefty four-year $100 million paycheck.

AL Horford
Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2019 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, May 6, 2019. Getty Images/Maddie Meyer

Horford has two and a half years left in his deal and is owed roughly $70 million. Some feel it could make sense although it could be a short-term fix depending on how the Dominican can improve Boston’s campaign.

Boston owns a traded player exception worth $28.5 million. Horford fits into that if Celtics president Danny Ainge would consider it.

This could be an option that the Celtics are studying and something that could go down by the NBA trade deadline set for Mar. 25.

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