BREAKING: Terry Rozier Going to Hornets via Sign-and-Trade to Possibly Help Celtics Keep Al Horford
By Thomas Carannante
What's an NBA offseason without Danny Ainge trying to make everything as complicated as possible?
We initially believed the Boston Celtics would simply be signing Kemba Walker to a max deal, but no, it's not that simple. Reports surfaced about the C's possibly working out a sign-and-trade with the Charlotte Hornets (who'd get Terry Rozier) and Brooklyn Nets (who'd get Kyrie Irving) in order for Boston to free up the full non-tax mid-level exception.
It seems at least a sign-and-trade with the Hornets for Rozier is happening, and he's getting big money.
Free agent guard Terry Rozier plans to agree to a three-year, $58M contract with the Charlotte Hornets via sign-and-trade, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2019
NBA fans would agree that's an excessive amount of money for Rozier, but that's not the important aspect of this development.
Not only will this move enable the Celtics to use the MLE, but they now would have a shot at retaining Al Horford in an attempt to meet his enormous contract demands.
Sources: The Boston Celtics are progressing towards a series of sign and trade deals to enable them to re-sign Al Horford, while also maintaining the full MLE.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 30, 2019
Ainge is clearly playing chess after the Celtics' offseason looked like a complete disaster when Horford and Irving opted for the open market. Now, Boston fans can be thrilled with this development, as they'll have a chance to put together a better, more balanced team for 2019-20.