Boston Celtics fans awoke this morning to news of a blockbuster trade sending starting point guard Kemba Walker and the 2016 No. 16 overall pick, and a 2025 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for former Boston Celtic big man Al Horford, center Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal, newly minted tam president Brad Stevens’ first in that role, will save the Celtics $9 million next season and roughly $73 million over the life of Horford’s contract compared to Walker’s, with the former Celtic big man only guaranteed for $14.5 million in 2022-23.
With the move, Boston has at once shored up its frontcourt rotation significantly with players who fit a modern style of play with a familiar veteran beloved by fans and teammates alike.
Boston gets financial flexibility moving off the $73M owed Walker with the return of Horford. OKC has three first-round picks in July now. Thunder can work with Walker on what’s next for him as they did with CP3, ‘Melo and Horford. https://t.co/xKQS56kfYh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 18, 2021
That should at least in part offset losing Walker’s equally-beloved locker room presence while helping clarify roles across the roster.
Expect more moves as the offseason unfolds for the Celtic, and stay tuned to this site for more details on this emerging storyline.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
