BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 21: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics runs down court during the … More
When the Boston Celtics’ president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, met with the media after the first round of the NBA Draft, he made the team’s desire to re-sign Al Horford and Luke Kornet crystal clear.
“There’s no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,” stated Stevens. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization. They’re going to have, I’m sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that’s well deserved, but I think that would be a priority. At the same time, I don’t want to put pressure on them. It’s their call ultimately, but yeah, we would love to have those guys back.”
However, even after trading Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and getting under the second apron, Boston’s minimal flexibility made that an uphill battle.
The organization appears intent on moving forward with a nucleus of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White. Next season could also provide a chance for Payton Pritchard to go from Sixth Man of the Year to a spot in the starting lineup as he aims to build off a career year.
After the second round of the draft, the franchise’s vice president of basketball operations and team counsel, Mike Zarren, laughed off the idea of trading Brown or White.
“Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them,” voiced Zarren. “I’m not sure where all this reporting came from, but those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.”
However, as much as the Celtics would like to duplicate the last offseason when it kept nearly an entire title team intact, something has to give. It already has.
Kornet has agreed to a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Al Horford could be the next Celtic on his way out
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Horford’s free-agent market includes the Celtics, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Unlike Boston, to varying degrees, these are championship contenders. Furthermore, Horford will likely receive more lucrative offers than the Celtics can make him. He could command the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $14.1 million.
Had it not been for Tatum tearing his Achilles, there is a legitimate possibility the 18-year veteran’s affinity for the organization and the city would have led to him re-signing at a discount. That may no longer be the case.
Dr. Kevin Stone, a leading expert in Achilles tendon repair, is optimistic about Tatum returning to All-NBA form upon his return. The SpeedBridge procedure, which the six-time All-Star may have undergone, could help with that.
However, at 39, Horford may not be interested in a gap year. The clock is winding down on a career that should lead to his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Still, even in the final stages of his career, he remains productive. The former Florida Gator averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and nearly 1.0 blocks per contest in the 2024-25 campaign. He also knocked down 36.3 percent of his 5.2 three-point attempts.
Horford started in 42 of the 60 tilts he appeared in. Regardless of his role, he remains plenty capable of helping a contender. Unfortunately for the Celtics, that could lead to his departure.
