Report: Nets Could Be In Mix For Al Horford

Al Horford
Photo credit Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Images

There is already growing speculation that Kyrie Irving will sign with the Nets this summer. Now another Boston Celtic is being linked to Brooklyn, too.

A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reported Wednesday morning, citing league sources, that "a team to keep an eye on in the Al Horford sweepstakes is the Brooklyn Nets."

A team to keep an eye on in the Al Horford sweepstakes is the Brooklyn Nets, league source says. The #Nets are a team on the rise, Al's close ties to head coach Kenny Atkinson and the team's cap space mentioned as the main reasons.

— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) June 19, 2019

On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the five-time All-Star center will not exercise the $30.1 million player option on his contract with Boston.

Horford, 33, has close ties to Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks when Horford played for them. This past season, Horford averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

After trading away Allen Crabbe earlier this month, the Nets have the salary-cap space available to sign two max-level free agents.

If Irving does indeed sign with Brooklyn, Horford most likely would not be the Nets' first choice for their second big splash. The other top players who will become or are expected to become free agents this summers are Golden State's Kevin Durant, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia's Jimmy Butler, Golden State's Klay Thompson and Philadelphia's Tobias Harris. Brooklyn also must decide whether it sees its own restricted free agent, guard D'Angelo Russell, in its future plans.

Free agency begins June 30.

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