Adding Al Horford
Juxtapose a healthy 25-year-old Joel Embiid with a 33-year-old Al Horford, and you just might have one of the most potent frontcourts in basketball.
Thanks to the Jimmy Butler/Josh Richardson sign-and-trade, the Sixers were able to follow up with two additional defensive assets in lieu of just one. Assuming they would’ve still used a max on Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler’s contract would’ve virtually made it impossible to acquire Horford. Once the news struck that Butler was on a beeline for Miami, signing the rival big man made all the more sense.
He is a no-brainer fit alongside Ben Simmons and Embiid for his pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll tendencies, and absolves the Sixers of their backup center dilemma.
the sixers backup center in the playoffs playing overseas should tell you why the al horford signing was so necessary https://t.co/IAbdraWmlW
— drew (@sixersruinedme) July 24, 2019
Horford’s profound basketball IQ, coupled with his leadership will likely be among the blueprints that propel this team to a deep playoff run over the next few seasons. That said, his mammoth deal bears some worry beyond year 2 when his trade value starts to wane.
Grade: B+