Al Horford explains why he left Hawks for Celtics

Al Horford surprised some when he chose to sign with the Boston Celtics in free agency rather than remain with the Atlanta Hawks.

There was some information circulating that Horford did not want to play with Dwight Howard, who agreed to sign with Atlanta earlier in free agency. But in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published Monday, Horford said that was not the reason he chose to sign elsewhere. In fact, he made it sound like it was more of a financial issue.

From Horford’s interview with the AJC’s Chris Vivlamore:

Q. Were you still with the Hawks right up to the end?

A. At the beginning my plan was to stay (in Atlanta). I started to see that when the team stepped up and did what they had to do, I didn’t think we were on the same page. That’s when I was forced to start looking at other options.

Q. Are you talking about the Hawks signing Dwight Howard?

A. No, it was more from a financial standpoint.

Horford signed with the Celtics for $113 million over four years, so it sounds like whatever Atlanta offered him was less.

The Hawks probably felt more comfortable losing him after signing Howard, but their continual efforts to re-sign Horford indicate they still wanted him, just maybe at a certain price.

In addition to the financial matter, Horford described Boston as the “best fit” for him, which included an overall look at the team’s roster and potential. The Celtics tied for the third-best record in the East last season, surprising many with their success. They could be in line for an even better finish next season with Horford in the mix.