BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 1: Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball in the first half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 1, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)It didn’t take long for Daryl Morey to accomplish one major task as the Sixers’ president of basketball operations: trading Al Horford.
Morey was able to dump the veteran big man and his whopping salary off in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder this afternoon. It’s a move that will save the Sixers considerable cash.
All in all, Philadelphia is sending Horford, the No. 34 overall pick in tonight’s draft, a “lightly-protected” 2025 first-round pick and the rights to Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic to Oklahoma City for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson.
Not surprisingly, this deal involving Horford, a five-time All-Star, has become the talk of the NBA just hours before the 2020 draft. The early reactions seem to be that the deal works out for both sides.
Just want to be very clear on how good Sam Presti is:
Sam Presti turned Dennis Schroder into two first round picks, a second rounder, and Al Horford (who I think legit might not actually be washed).
That’s….pretty remarkable.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) November 18, 2020
MOREY GOT RID OF AL HORFORD!!!!
— drew (@Dcorrigan50) November 18, 2020
Sam Presti Sam Presti
trading for trading for
Al Horford first-round picks pic.twitter.com/a2Hz8BmCTe— #RingerNBA (@ringernba) November 18, 2020
If you replaced every second that Al Horford played for the Sixers w/ Jonah Bolden, not one meaningful thing would’ve been different. They still would’ve been the 6 seed in the East & they still would’ve gotten swept by the Celtics. They would’ve won ~3 fewer games but that’s it.
— Mike O'Connor (@MOConnor_NBA) November 18, 2020
Al Horford and Steven Adams is certainly something
— Josh Eberley🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) November 18, 2020
Sixers gave Al Horford 4 years, $110 million and traded him away a year later in a deal that also cost them draft picks. Sensational. https://t.co/COoVSAz0gw
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) November 18, 2020
Sixers trading Al Horford and 2025 first round pick & second round pick tonight to Oklahoma City for Danny Green & Terrance Ferguson, according to @wojespn
Daryl Morey creating flexibility dumping Al’s contract. Danny will make $15 million this year and then become free agent pic.twitter.com/Nso3x2o29w
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) November 18, 2020
Last season, Horford may not have lived up to the four-year, $109 million contract he signed with Philly in the summer of 2019.
However, the 34-year-old can still probably be a valuable role player for another year or two, and he’ll help the Thunder’s young pieces mature as the franchise rebuilds.
Meanwhile, the Sixers freed up much-needed cap space and provided themselves with flexibility for future moves.
