Al Horford Should Stay With Hawks

Al Horford will enter the free agent period on July 1 as one of the most coveted players in this year’s class, garnering attention from multiple teams, including the Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks drafted Al Horford in 2007 following two national championships at the University of Florida. Not by coincidence, the 2007-08 season was the first year of what has now become nine consecutive playoff appearances for Hawks.

Horford is a winner and since he came to the Hawks, they have won. Over the past two years, the Hawks have won 108 games.

To underscore the importance of Horford to the Hawks, they barely made the postseason in 2014 after tearing a pectoral muscle for the second time in his career. The next year in 2014-15, the Hawks won 60 games en route to securing the top seed in the east.

Horford is one of the most versatile players in the association.

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An effective rebounder and defender with the ability to space the floor with a great mid-range jumpshot and a recently developed three-point shot, Horford is perfect for Mike Budenholzer’s pace and space offensive scheme.

While other potential suitors of Horford such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics can try to sell Horford with their championship pedigree, the Atlanta Hawks offer him a better chance to win with their roster and coaching staff.

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Have you heard these before? The Hawks have yet to break through the ceiling of the Eastern Conference that is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He and Paul Millsap both have essentially the same skill set. He’s playing out of position.

While all are valid points, the answer simply comes down to the fact that other than the Golden State Warriors, the Hawks not only give him the best chance to win right now, but that Atlanta is home.

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The national media would leave you to believe that this season was a disaster for the Hawks. While the second consecutive sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers looms, Atlanta still finished with 48 victories and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks handled a hot Boston Celtics team in the first round — and if not for the statistically improbable shooting performance from the Cavs in the second round, the Hawks remain one of the top teams in the East.

The sky isn’t falling, but changes do need to be made — and they will. The Hawks will address their deficiencies via the draft, free agency and trades; and with the cap flexibility they currently possess, they will continue to build and get better.

Atlanta has become Horford’s home and is still the best situation for the All-Star forward.Speaking with the AJC’s Chris Vivlamore, Horford spoke of how he views both the city of Atlanta and the Hawks organization, stating:

"“I really love playing with this group of guys. Coach is great. I really like the way the organization is heading with new ownership and all the changes there are around here. That’s something that we’ll have to address when that time comes. But I feel good here.”"

The new ownership group’s commitment to improving the Hawks bodes well for their chances of retaining Horford. With a solid corps of Paul Millsap, Dennis Schroder and Kyle Korver around him, Al Horford’s knows that not many teams can afford him the same opportunity to win right away.

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Let’s not forget that because the Hawks have Horford’s bird-rights, they can sign him to an extra year on a contract without being penalized against the cap, giving him more money than any other team can offer.

Also, they have the cap flexibility to sign another max player to continue to build around him.

On Thursday morning, it was reported that the Oklahoma City Thunder will try to sign Horford and reunite him with his college coach at Florida, Billy Donovan. The prospect of playing for Donovan and with both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant is intriguing to say the least.

Though we won’t delve into the financially maneuvering that the Thunder would have to go through to make all the pieces fit, Atlanta is still his home. Horford began his career there, got married there, and had his first child there.

Horford is not only the external face of the Hawks, but also their heart and soul. They have more financial flexibility than OKC, and will continue to build around him.

The Hawks’ front-office has stated that Al Horford is their top priority in free-agency, and that retaining his services is paramount for the team’s continued success.

There is no denying the team’s penchant for choking or mediocre postseason showings; but over the past two years, there has been a culture shift within the organization. The Hawks are no longer perceived in the same way since Mike Budenholzer took over. Horford is a big part of that.

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Horford is exactly the player, personality and leader that the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff and their front-office values. Other teams can offer pedigree and perhaps a more expedient path to winning a championship; but in the end, Atlanta presents the best situation for Al Horford.