The Los Angeles Lakers are on a tireless mission to improve their growing roster this offseason.
One addition that the team’s front office may be interested is signing veteran big man Al Horford.
Earlier this week, Horford alerted the Boston Celtics that he would not be opting into the final year of his contract. It is now expected that he will not be re-signing with his former team.
On Wednesday, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on the recent goings on in the NBA offseason and mentioned that the Lakers were potentially interested in Horford.
“The Jazz will remain one of the NBA’s best defenses, and now they’ll have a point guard who can take them from good to great on offense. This trade may not generate headlines like the Lakers’ acquisition of Anthony Davis, but it could end up being one of the most important transactions of the offseason. As I wrote on Monday, league executives are expecting an arms race this summer. The Jazz needed to keep up, as teams in the West are looking to bolster their rosters. The Mavericks are considered favorites to land Celtics free-agent big man Al Horford, according to league sources, and the two Los Angeles teams are said to also have interest, though they both have their sights set on bigger fish like Kawhi Leonard. The Rockets recently explored trading Chris Paul into New York’s cap space, but the Knicks refused, according to league sources. Trading Paul would have positioned the Rockets to be a Clint Capela or Eric Gordon trade away from freeing up the cap space to sign Jimmy Butler, who league sources say they plan to pursue. Injuries to the Warriors opened up the West, and there’s a scramble to accumulate talent and take advantage of Golden State’s misfortune.”
While O’Connor states that the Mavericks are the current frontrunners to land Horford, the Lakers could certainly intrigue the talented veteran, who is still searching for his first-ever NBA title.
Last season, Horford averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He continues to be one of the most versatile big men in the league.
That versatility could work wonderfully with Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as they are known as players who can play practically every position on the court.
Horford choosing the Lakers would easily make him one of the most hated sports figures in Boston, as going from the Celtics to the Lakers would be a huge smack in the face to L.A.’s NBA rival.
That would just be icing on the cake for the Lakers, however, as Horford joining the Lakers would likely only improve their chances of winning an NBA title in the 2019-20 campaign.
