Celtics make Kemba Walker/Al Horford, Moses Brown deal official with press release

The Kemba Walker era in Boston is officially at an end and the second Al Horford era kicked off via an official press release from the Celtics circulated to the media Friday morning.

The deal sending Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for former Celtic Al Horford and Moses Brown with draft assets headed in both directions was announced in the release detailing the first major move of Brad Stevens in his role as President of Basketball Operations for the storied franchise. Widely hailed as a positive move for not only Stevens but the Thunder as well, it seems Stevens is off to a positive start as team president.

In the release, the new team president had plenty to say about Walker and Horford both.

"Kemba is a true professional and a great teammate and player," said Stevens of the UConn product, who joined the team in a double sign-and-trade with the Charlotte Hornets in the summer of 2019. "I want to thank him for his tremendous impact, and the positive contribution he’s made both to the Celtics and the City of Boston." https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1405907081052491778?s=20

"Al played a critical role both on and off the court during his time in Boston, and we’re excited to welcome he and his family back to the Celtics," added Stevens. "His ability to elevate teammates with his experience and leadership make for a great addition. We also want to welcome Moses [Brown] to Boston. He is a promising young player." https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1405916360341864453?s=20

Brown now has two seasons in the NBA to his name and is perhaps most noteworthy to Celtics fans for the game he pulled down 19 boards in one half against Boston in a tilt with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2020-21 season. With career averages of 7.3 points (54.0% FG), and 7.6 rebounds in 18.3 minutes, the 21-year-old big man is no mere throw-in, but could also be a potentially valuable part of the Celtics frontcourt rotation in 2021-22. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [lawrence-related id=52179,52169,52170,52131] [listicle id=52149]

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