The Atlanta Hawks agreed Monday to a five-year, $60 million contract extension with All-Star center Al Horford(notes). The team reached the deal with Horford just ahead of a deadline that would have opened the door for one of their stalwart players to become a restricted free agent next summer. Horford confirmed the terms in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “I wanted to get it done for security and just to focus on the team this year,” Horford wrote while en route to Cleveland, where the Hawks (3-0) face the Cavaliers on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Horford was the No. 3 overall pick in 2007 out of Florida, helping the Gators win back-to-back national championships. He quickly established himself as one of the team’s most valuable players, even as an undersized center who had to outwork many of the bigger players he went against. Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ann7MvJ3g9Z98OJlcpWDSu28vLYF?slug=ap-hawks-horford
