Remember when Al Horford left the Boston Celtics in 2019 free agency? The C's are making sure that doesn't happen again.
Horford and the Celtics have agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension that will keep him with the team through the 2024-25 season, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday morning.
UPDATE: The Celtics confirmed Horford's extension in Thursday afternoon on social media.
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Horford is on the final year of a four-year, $109 million contract he originally signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 after parting ways with the C's. He's making $26.5 million this season, and his extension will kick in for the 2023-24 campaign.
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This deal makes sense for both sides. The Celtics are locking up a key member of their core at a relative discount, while the 36-year-old Horford now has financial security through his 39th birthday. (His deal is fully guaranteed, per The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach.)
Boston Celtics
The veteran big man played a pivotal role in Boston's run to the NBA Finals last season and has provided steady production this season as the Celtics' starting big man, averaging 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting very well -- 55.5 percent from the floor and 48.8 percent from 3-point range.