Al Horford’s time as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers lasted only a single season. The Sixers are trading Horford, along with a protected 2025 first-round pick, the 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, and the rights to Serbian guard Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder for veteran guard Danny Green, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Micic, 26, is considered one of Europe’s top point guards. The Thunder will also send Terrance Ferguson to the Sixers as part of the deal.
While Horford’s stay in Philadelphia was short, Green’s stint in Oklahoma City was even shorter, as he was only a member of the Thunder for mere days. The Thunder acquired Green earlier this week from the Los Angeles Lakers in the deal that sent Dennis Schroder to Southern California. In the deal with the Sixers, the Thunder landed two more draft picks to add to the arsenal of picks that they have amassed. As a team that is clearly in the midst of a rebuild, it will be interesting to see if they hold on to Horford, or look to flip him again for other assets.
The trade was the first move made by Daryl Morey since he was named as the the Sixers new president of basketball operations, and it was a good one for Philadelphia. In Green, the Sixers get a player that fits perfectly alongside the team’s two best players in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and has a championship pedigree. Green has won three NBA titles with three different teams, and he has played a major role each time.
The Sixers were also able to get out from under Horford’s contract without having to give up too many assets. The Horford experiment didn’t work for Philadelphia. That was evident to anyone who watched the team last season. Horford didn’t fit well alongside Embiid and Simmons, and in turn, he struggled to find ways to make a positive impact.
The main issue was that Horford’s skill set on the offensive end was redundant with Embiid and Simmons. Horford is at his best when he’s operating either from the elbow or the low block. He is very comfortable with creating good looks for himself and others from these areas. The problem was that Embiid and Simmons are also both most comfortable in those areas, especially on the low block, where Embiid does a fair share of his damage, and where Simmons is often relegated as a result of his inability to space the floor with his shot. Thus, Horford was forced to spend a lot of time with the Sixers on the perimeter, where he’s limited, and not especially effective.
Horford has three years remaining on the four-year, $109 million deal that he signed with the Sixers last offseason. Green has one year remaining on his current contract and is set for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020-21 season. He signed a two-year, $30 million deal with the Lakers last offseason.
76ers receive:
Thunder receive:
- G Vasilije Micic
- No. 34 pick in 2020 NBA Draft (Theo Maledon)
- Protected 2025 first-round pick
Philadelphia trade grade: A
This deal is a grand slam for Philadelphia. Not only did the 76ers get out from under Horford’s terrible contract and gain a ton of financial flexibility in the process, they also got an experienced veteran with a championship pedigree that projects to be a good fit on the team in Danny Green. It was always going to cost the Sixers some additional assets to unload Horford’s contract, and a future protected first-round pick and a second-rounder isn’t too steep of a price to pay to do so. Horford never fit in Philadelphia, and the Sixers will benefit from the addition of Green and the salary cap space created by the move.
Oklahoma City trade grade: B
For the Thunder, the move was all about adding more draft capital to the pile of picks that they have already amassed. They got a protected first-round pick in 2025, and the 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, which turned out to be French guard Theo Maledon. The reason that this trade is a ‘B’ for the Thunder is because it is unclear exactly why a team in the midst of a rebuild would want to take on three years of a 34-year old Horford. Perhaps they’re interested in his veteran leadership, or perhaps they will look to flip him again for other assets down the road.
