Al Horford Might Be the NBA’s Most Vital Free Agent This Summer time
Caitlin Clark obtained damage. It couldn’t have come at a worse time—for the NBA.
Think about a summer time wherein your high viewing choices are U.S. soccer video games in opposition to Eire and Guatemala, a man named Misiorowski pitching for the Brewers, and Aaron Rodgers stretching at minicamp.
And sadly, not in that order.
That places a number of stress on the NBA, which lately has tried to personal the summer time with an NFL-style offseason playbook.
It’s beefed up draft protection, turned free company right into a scoop-driven frenzy, and hyped summer time league as an opportunity to get to know a bunch of undrafted gamers you ignored when their video games truly mattered six months in the past.
Nicely, the draft was so boring, Stephen A. Smith needed to be introduced in simply to loudly declare the Phoenix Suns are in disarray. (Gee, you assume?)
A snoozy draft rolls right into a summer time league in want of a sleep button. No marvel NBA TV goes out of enterprise.
That leaves free company. And sure, there have been some pre-July 4 fireworks: Kevin Durant landed in Houston, Kristaps Porziņģis limped into Atlanta, Deandre Ayton (wait, he’s not retired?) is now Luka Dončić’s backup plan, and Myles Turner bailed on the Pacers.
Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr., Jordan Poole for CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons for Jrue Vacation, Desmond Bane for a bag of first-round picks—let’s be sincere: most of those strikes had been simply body-shuffling. Did anybody truly get higher?
OK, perhaps the Rockets did. And some different groups ( you, Atlanta) that don’t actually matter. Have you ever seen what the Hornets are doing? Wow.
However right here’s the reality: Each staff within the East not named Indiana feels higher at present solely as a result of the convention’s high canine, the Celtics, primarily waved a white flag on the 2025-26 season. And each staff within the West not named Phoenix has extra bounce in its step after the champs seemed awfully beatable within the Finals.
The doorways to the NBA title ironmongery shop have been left so broad open … the Knicks are dreaming of LeBron, the Bucks are hugging Giannis, and the Warriors … effectively, we’re nonetheless undecided what they’re doing.
And that’s terrifying.
Neglect about LeBron. The Celtics aren’t buying and selling Jaylen Brown. Damian Lillard is treating this season like a sabbatical. However there is one participant on the market who may make 15 groups immediate contenders—or take present contenders up a degree.
Al Horford.
It’s becoming the Celtics’ symbolic white flag might need a inexperienced “42” stitched into it. This overly proud franchise could be one banner quick with out the steadying presence of the NBA’s most underappreciated star.
All Horford has completed over the previous 4 seasons in Boston is prop up Jayson Tatum’s All-NBA phantasm. (You noticed what occurred when Tatum went to Paris final summer time and left Horford behind like a forgotten toothbrush.)
Whereas taking part in middle, Horford has drained 456 threes in 4 years—about 400 of these turning into assists for Tatum, serving to earn him the Doris Burke honorary “Does All The Little Issues” badge.
And Horford’s hit them at a 39.2 p.c clip. For comparability, Tatum shot 35.5 p.c when he tried doing all of it himself.
That’s a reliable—and clutch—floor-spacer on one finish of the ground. And it’s not even his finest finish.
Even at 6-foot-9, Horford stays among the finest big-man defenders within the league. Earlier than each recreation, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had the luxurious of assigning Horford to the opposing staff’s most harmful scorer. Tatum, in the meantime, obtained to face subsequent to the rim and rebound uncontested misses. (And nonetheless obtained an All-Protection vote.)
If Horford may make Boston nice once more … think about what he’d do for Golden State.
He and Draymond Inexperienced would construct a defensive wall that not even Olajuwon and Sampson may scale. And extra importantly, Horford—not Draymond—could be launching the 246 threes Inexperienced hoisted final yr with Tatum-like effectivity.
Horford. Inexperienced. Butler. Curry. Go forward and rely out the Thunder.
Really, don’t. Oklahoma Metropolis may wake from its offseason nap and be a part of the Horford sweepstakes. That’s one other advantage of the 39-year-old who’s made $280 million in his profession—he doesn’t want a max contract.
Simply purchase him a hoop.
He may take in the inevitable damaged bone from Chet Holmgren through the 2026 playoffs, filling in for the potential dynasty that crumbles with out him.
The Lakers are curious about Horford. After all they’re. He may mentor Wemby, babysit Anthony Davis, anchor Joel Embiid, revive the Warmth, calm the Clippers … he would possibly even be capable to make Karl-Anthony Cities smarter.
Or perhaps Horford stays in Boston out of loyalty. But when that occurs, the Celtics would possibly as effectively decrease the Jolly Roger.
One man holds disproportionate energy within the NBA proper now. Name him the male Caitlin Clark—with a far more dependable jumper.
