3 long-term Al Horford replacements the Boston Celtics must consider
By Seth Quinn
Boston Celtics long-term replacement No. 1) Wendell Carter Jr.
If the Boston Celtics are looking for a Horford replacement with a similar skill set, Wendell Carter Jr. is that guy.
Starting his career as an undersized center (like Horford) with the Chicago Bulls, the 23-year-old big man played more on the perimeter last season in his first full season with the Magic, playing in the frontcourt alongside fellow big, Mo Bamba.
The Magic encouraged their big men to shoot more triples, leading Carter Jr. to produce a career-high 3.5 3-point attempts per game last season which surpassed his previous career high of 0.9 attempts a game.
In 62 games, Carter shot 32.7 percent in his first season embracing the 3-point shot, molding his game from a traditional big into a more modern big man.
To put those numbers into perspective, Al Horford last season with the Celtics shot 33.6 percent from deep on 3.8 attempts a game in 69 games.
Adding a 3-point shot to his already solid all-around game makes Carter an extremely valuable role player for a contending team.
If he can produce one more season of consistent long-range shooting to go along with his already great defense, screening, and solid passing ability for a big, he will be well on his way to turning into an Al Horford clone.
Along with being a spitting image of Al Horford in terms of play style, Wendell Carter Jr. will only be 24 as Horford enters free agency, making him a candidate to be a Celtic for a very long time.
Even better, the Magic big man’s contract is superb, starting at around $14 million this coming season, and going down to a little less than $11 million in year four of his contract, making him a potentially massive bargain long term.
If the trade price isn’t too high, the Boston Celtics should strongly consider pursuing Wendell Carter Jr., as he’d be a perfect fit in Ime Udoka’s offensive and defensive system for many years to come.