The New York Knicks are not expected to be major players in this summer's free agent market as they are severely limited by the salary cap. However, the team still lacks depth, and one writer believes an aging big man with championship pedigree could slide over to New York in a cheap deal.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post wrote about three "low-cost options" for the Knicks to pursue, and one of them is forward/center Al Horford.
Horford, 39, most recently played for the Boston Celtics, where he was a member of the 2024 NBA Championship team. For a franchise in New York looking to get over the same hump, bringing in a veteran presence like Horford who has been there and done that could go a long way.
Here is what Bondy wrote about Horford's potential fit in New York:
"The Celtics pivoted toward a gap season after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles exploded, and they traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis for salary-saving purposes. At 39 years old, Horford doesn’t have time for gap seasons. He also is a winner who could fill a need for the Knicks — frontcourt depth — with a preexisting friendship with Karl-Anthony Towns (they both played for the Dominican national team)."
In terms of aforementioned frontcourt depth, the Knicks only have Towns, the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson, and two-way player Ariel Hukporti on the roster. Horford is someone who could come in and play power forward or center, and he could hold down the fort if Towns gets into foul trouble.
It is unclear how interested Horford would be in signing with one of his beloved Celtics' biggest rivals, but the opportunity to play a meaningful role on a contender would certainly be there.