Report: Hawks expected to listen to offers for Al Horford
The Atlanta Hawks might be looking to dismantle their 60-win core from a season ago.
In addition to fielding interest in point guard Jeff Teague, Yahoo's Marc Spears reports the Hawks are expected to entertain offers for center Al Horford, who's set to become a free agent this summer.
The 29-year-old will be in line for a huge payday in July, when he'll reportedly seek a five-year, $146-million max deal. Though Horford's spent his entire nine-year career as a central fixture for the Hawks, they might balk at his asking price.
Other teams could offer Horford better opportunities to monetize his brand. The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, for example, will have maximum cap room.
"Atlanta has the potential for a guy like myself to maximize (the business) part of it," Horford said. "But obviously there are other cities, bigger cities that are more appealing probably (business- and marketing-wise). The impact would be bigger if that is what you are looking for."
The Hawks, who matched their loss total from a year ago through just 49 games, are fielding an aging core that submitted a relatively uninspiring showing in last year's playoffs. Some tinkering might already be underway with the shopping of Teague, and if Atlanta plans to get a head start on a full rebuild, parting with the likes of Horford, Kyle Korver (34), and perhaps even Thabo Sefolosha (31) makes sense.
The team, however, remains one of the best in the Eastern Conference, and is fully satisfied with Horford's two-way excellence.
"He is the type of player we want to continue building with now and into the future," head coach Mike Budenholzer told Spears.
Horford, a three-time All-Star, is averaging 15.2 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in 31.6 minutes per game.