Report: Thunder’s Al Horford trade won’t be complete until Dec. 8
There’s been a piece of the Oklahoma City Thunder that has been missing since the start of training camp.
The Thunder reportedly acquired Al Horford, a 2025 first-round pick and Vasilije Micic from the Philadelphia 76ers in November in exchange for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson. We say reportedly because that deal is still not finalized.
That trade won’t become official until Tuesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oklahoma City is aggregating salary to help the trade go through, according to the Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. This delay has arisen because the trade with the Los Angeles Lakers that netted the Thunder Green was not official until Nov. 19.
Until Tuesday, the Thunder will be without Horford. He will miss the individual workouts that take place through Saturday but be allowed to join the team for the group portion once the trade has been finalized, assuming he passes coronavirus protocols.
At that point, Oklahoma City will have its center who replaces Steven Adams this season. The Thunder’s first preseason game is scheduled to take place Dec. 12 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Horford is a versatile center who has some skill passing and shooting, but his fit next to Joel Embiid on the Sixers collapsed the spacing and forced Philadelphia to trade him just one season into his four-year, $109 million contract.
Oklahoma City is banking on Horford either being a reliable starter or regaining enough trade value that they can move him at some point over the next three years.
This season, Horford is owed $27.5 million. The salary decreases by $500,000 each year.
