Notable center options came off the board on the first night of free agency. The Los Angeles Lakers were nowhere in sight. Their hopes now rest with ensuring Al Horford provides the perfect short-term solution for the franchise.
Rest assured, the Lakers are very much so in on the Horford sweepstakes. Michael Scotto reported that piece on intel amid a chaotic first night.
Scotto wrote, "Al Horford has received interest from several contending teams since the start of free agency, including the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told [HoopsHype]."
The former championship-winning center is certainly not short on options, if Scotto is to be believed. However, the Lakers are. After watching Brook Lopez join the Los Angeles Clippers and Clint Capela sign with the Houston Rockets, Rob Pelinka needs his most convincing free-agency pitch here.
Horford offers Lakers needed stability amid a turbulent time
The Lakers' start to this free agency period has been disappointing. Los Angeles watched one of the most important players on their team, Dorian Finney-Smith, join a rising conference rival. That same Rockets team also poached their best free-agent match at center.
Other Western Conference contenders like the Denver Nuggets managed to quickly reassert themselves near the top of the title mix with a clever addition in Bruce Brown and a masterful trade for Cameron Johnson. If the Lakers still intend to be contenders, adding Horford is becoming a must.
Horford has remained effective as a frontcourt option in his time with the Celtics. The veteran center averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game during 27.7 minutes per game in the 2024-25 regular season.
The aging big man is far removed from his All-Star days. However, Horford still provides plenty of capability as a defender and a floor-spacing option offensively.
When the Lakers lost Finney-Smith to the Rockets, Dave McMenamin explained part of the reason was the desire to maintain financial flexibility for the future. With Luka Doncic in mind, 2027 has been identified as a key focal point of the team's future.
"Though Finney-Smith was a popular locker room figure, ... L.A. exercised discipline in its negotiations to preserve cap space for 2027, when the team expects to have space to sign a max-salary free agent," McMenamin wrote.
With Horford being being as close to retirement as most would expect, a short-term deal would align with Pelinka's reported goals. It would also offer the Lakers a proven presence that allows them to remain competitive now while still prioritizing their future with Doncic.