NBA free agent rumors: Al Horford is a perfect fit with Detroit, says Sports Illustrated writer

More and more reports are coming out about the Pistons, and many other teams, having an interest in Al Horford. Of course they do. As Sean Corp said, teams have so much money this year it's burning a hole in their pocket. While Marc Stein believes Horford will land in Detroit, Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney thinks that Horford is a perfect fit for the Pistons:

Detroit quietly cleared $6.5 million in salary this week by trading Jodie Meeks, who missed almost the entirely [sic] of last season with a foot injury, to Orlando. That—along with Andre Drummond’s preposterously low cap hold—further enables the Pistons to explore their options in free agency. Horford is among their targets, according to ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe, and makes perfect sense. Andre Drummond doesn’t just need a floor-spacing big alongside him. He needs a playmaker; Reggie Jackson is single-handedly responsible for so much of Detroit’s ball-handling and shot creation that it makes the offense vulnerable. A few intermediaries would go a long way.

Horford, for example, could man the high post and pick out cutters with passes, catch on the move and find open teammates, or act as an outlet on the weak side. So long as wings like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, and Stanley Johnson are the rotation norm in Detroit, facilitation would have to be found elsewhere. Horford could be stellar in that capacity while also working as the team’s second-unit center and helping to coach up Drummond on the finer points of positional defense. The fit is rather tidy from the Pistons’ perspective. At issue is whether Detroit’s roster (and the chance to finally play power forward on a more regular basis) interests Horford enough to leave a solid situation in Atlanta and the financial particulars of the Pistons clearing a bit more room for him to land.

Consider me skeptical, but as more and more reports come out in favor of the move, I begin to think even more that it won't happen. Detroit does have many positives to offer, but when was the last time a large name free agent signed with Detroit? (And if you say Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, bless your heart as they say here in the south.)

What do you think of Mahoney's assessment? Let us know in the comments.