Rockets' pursuit of Al Horford ends, center will sign with Celtics

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The Rockets' pursuit of Hawks center Al Horford might have ended well before Horford's tenure in Atlanta, but his choice made it official Saturday afternoon when he tweeted that he would be joining the Boston Celtics.

Horford will sign a four-year, $113 million deal with Boston, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed, earning the most a team other than the Hawks could offer.

The Hawks had looked into options to clear the cap room to keep Horford in addition to Dwight Howard, but he turned down the offer to remain with his only NBA team.

The Rockets had met with Horford and his representatives on Friday, but there was little momentum for them to be among his finalists by Saturday morning when the Rockets met with Ryan Anderson. By Saturday afternoon, the Rockets had reached an agreement with Anderson.

With Horford's decision and Howard's move to the Hawks, Clint Capela is the only center on the Rockets' roster. Even with the addition of Anderson, the Rockets still have more than enough room under the salary cap if they wish to pursue the centers still on the free agent market. They came to an agreement with Pelicans free agent guard Eric Gordon Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.