Al Horford, Boston Celtics agree to four-year contract
Al Horford is the biggest free agent ever to sign with the Boston Celtics.
And he’s going to try to make sure he’s not the last.
“People around the league, they appreciate, they understand how special it is,” Horford said Friday at a news conference surrounded by championship banners at the Celtics’ practice facility. “I hope that if I’m coming here, it will definitely open the door to other free agents.”
Horford agreed to a four-year, $113 million deal with the Celtics last week on the opening day of NBA free agency. A few hours later, he learned that Kevin Durant had spurned Boston’s offer and decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors instead.
“It would have been nice, but I have to move on,” Horford told reporters Friday morning, after he was introduced but before the contract had been approved by the NBA office.
Without Durant, the Celtics missed out on a player that could have elevated the team into immediate contention for the franchise’s 18th NBA title. General manager Danny Ainge conceded that Horford alone doesn’t do that, even on a roster that already included All-Star Isaiah Thomas.
“Right now it definitely makes us better,” Ainge said. “We’re not done. We still have work to do.”
The news conference was delayed at the start because of a paperwork problem that kept the Celtics from saying Horford was officially signed. Owner Wyc Grousbeck said it was just a formality, but in the meantime they were only “welcoming” Horford to Boston.
That didn’t stop the player’s wife from taking a panoramic photo of the 17 NBA championship banners ringing the practice court. The numbers on the scoreboards had all been changed to “18” – the next Celtics title.
“He might not have seen it, there’s a blank banner up there on the right,” Grousbeck said. “We’re hoping to work together on that.”
The Celtics have all those banners and retired numbers, but NBA free agents have traditionally been drawn more to the attractions of South Beach or the media possibilities in New York and Los Angeles. Boston has signed some big-name free agents in the past – Shaquille O’Neal and Dominique Wilkins among them – but only at the tail end of their careers.
During Ainge’s last roster rebuild, Timberwolves big man Kevin Garnett balked at coming to Boston – in a trade – until Ray Allen was acquired – also in a trade – and added to a roster that already had Paul Pierce. Now that the Celtics have Horford, they could be a more attractive destination for the next crop of free agents.
“It’s a great organization. There’s a lot of history here,” Horford said. “I feel like everyone around the league respects it. That’s a big part of the reason why I chose to come here.
“This is a special place. People are open to it,” he said. “They will see how special it is.”
A 6-foot-10 center who spent his first nine years with the Hawks, Horford has averaged 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds in his career. And he saw firsthand what the Celtics were building in the playoffs this season, when Atlanta eliminated Boston in six games.
“I’m very encouraged by the group of players that are here,” he said. “Young, talented hardworking players. Playing in that series, I saw the passion that they played with and how much they had gotten better during the season.”
The feeling is mutual.
“The way that he was flying around in that playoff series, and the harm’s way that he put us in, it’s great to have him here now,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
Rush joins Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced the signing of free agent swingman Brandon Rush.
The Wolves announced the deal two days after agreeing to terms on a one-year, $3.5 million contract.
The 31-year-old Rush played just under 15 minutes per game for the Golden State Warriors last season. He shot 41.4 percent from 3-point range, a desperately needed skill for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota ranked near the bottom of the league in 3-point attempts last season. New coach Tom Thibodeau has said that upgrading the team’s shooting was a major priority this offseason.
Rush started 25 games for the Warriors last year. In those contests he averaged 7.0 points in 21 minutes and shot 49.4 percent from 3-point range.
Williams chooses Miami
Free agent forward Derrick Williams announced that he’s agreed to sign with the Miami Heat.
A person with direct knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the one-year deal to the AP.
Williams is entering his sixth NBA season. He’s spent time with Minnesota, Sacramento and New York. Williams averaged 9.3 points in 80 games last season for the Knicks, mostly as a reserve.
The 6-foot-8 Williams says he’s looking forward to playing for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Williams was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Bucks land Teletovic
The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent forward Mirza Teletovic, adding a four-year veteran coming off his best season in the NBA.
The 30-year-old Bosnian averaged career highs in points (12.2), field goal percentage (.427), 3-point percentage (.393) and 3-pointers made per game (2.3) for the Suns last season over a career-best 79 games. The 6-9 Teletovic signed with the Nets in 2012 and helped the team reach the playoffs in each of his three seasons with the team, where he also played under current Bucks coach Jason Kidd in 2013-14.
Terms of the deal announced were not disclosed.
Clippers re-sign bench players
The Clippers are keeping much of their bench together, including three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford.
The team said that it re-signed free agents Crawford, Austin Rivers, Luc Mbah a Moute and Wesley Johnson.
Crawford averaged 14.2 points and 2.3 assists in 79 games last season, his fourth in Los Angeles. The 36-year-old guard agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract offer last week.
Rivers, the son of Clippers coach Doc Rivers, averaged 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 67 games in his first full season with the team. He started two playoff games, averaging 17.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
Diaw trade official
The San Antonio Spurs have traded Boris Diaw and a second-round pick in 2022 to the Utah Jazz for Olivier Hanlan.
The teams announced the rumored deal after it became official Friday.
Diaw is one of three veterans the Jazz brought in to bolster their roster for a playoff push next season after narrowly missing the postseason in 2016. The Jazz haven’t been in the playoffs since 2012.
The team also signed Joe Johnson and acquired George Hill from the Pacers in a three-team trade that sent Jeff Teague from the Hawks to the Pacers.
Diaw gives the Jazz a versatile 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward who can play center in smaller lineups. The 13-year veteran averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season while shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range.
His passing ability is expected to fit well in the Jazz’s scheme and general manager Dennis Lindsey said he instantly became one of the better passers on the team. Diaw is currently playing with the French national team and is good friends with Jazz center and fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert.
Hanlan was a second-round pick by the Jazz in 2015 and he played last season with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. The 6-4, 186-pound point guard from Boston College was the No. 42 overall pick.
The Jazz had a logjam at point guard, even before trading for Hill. They added another point guard, Marcus Paige, in the draft before moving Hanlan and trading away Trey Burke to the Washington Wizards for a 2021 second-round pick.
The Jazz will also receive cash considerations in the Hanlan deal.
OKC’s McGary suspended
Thunder forward Mitch McGary has been suspended five games without pay for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program.
McGary’s suspension will begin with the next regular-season game that he is eligible and physically able to play.
McGary apologized to the organization, teammates and fans in a statement released by the team. He played little last season, and left the team for undisclosed personal reasons late in the year.
McGary had drug issues in college. He played just eight games his sophomore season at Michigan after electing to have back surgery, then tested positive for marijuana and faced a suspension, prompting him to enter the 2014 draft. The Thunder took him in the first round, and general manager Sam Presti said at the time that he was not worried about McGary’s past.
McGary said he “clearly made a mistake.”
The Thunder just acquired Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis in a draft-night trade, and the rookie first-rounder is a threat to push McGary further down the depth chart. Sabonis will play for Lithuania’s national team at the Olympics.