Alright, “Kelly Iko”, I have no clue who you are but you have a blue checkmark which means in society’s social media pecking order, you know far more than me. So, when you use every key buzz word in the book to match a description of an Al Horford trade, you not only have my attention, but my excitement.
Source: Rockets closing in on a deal for a center, currently talking to two Eastern Conference teams. In addition to a center, they are willing to take on additional salary in exchange for assets.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) February 5, 2020
Eastern Conference. Center. Additional Salary. Daryl Morey has hit the trifecta of bailing us out of this God awful Al Horford deal the Sixers struck this summer. Elton Brand, if you can pull this off and right your wrong, you can name my first born child. Daryl Morey, it’s either you take Al Horford or I take cyanide pills. That is the current crossroads we are at after the Sixers lackluster and embarrassing 3 game road trip.
For Philadelphia, Horford has always been an insurance policy for Joel Embiid. Seeing as Jojo is a fresh off an injury, the move to have Horford fill into his role while Joel was out did make sense in theory. Except, Horford hasn’t seemed like he can fit even with Embiid out of the lineup. With his three point percentage as low as its been in over half a decade, he can’t even stretch the floor. He also can’t excel in the post because Embiid is already there. And then when Embiid is out of the lineup, Horford holds Ben Simmons back from thriving in a run-n-gun style offense. Al Horford belongs on the Island of Misfit Toys, not on the Philadelphia 76ers.
If your name is Daryl Morey, please do not read the previous paragraph.
Or do! Because as a Philadelphia sports fan, I know exactly how this works. Al Horford becomes an All-Star in Atlanta, kills Philly while playing in Boston, is a dud in Philadelphia, and would go right back to being effective if given the opportunity in Houston.
Plus, if it is a move for an Eastern Conference center where the Rockets would have to eat some cap space to get it done, who else could this deal be for? Clint Capela??