For the Celtics, the majority of the hay is in the barn this offseason.
What about Al Horford, though?
Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations for the Celtics, expressed skepticism about the 39-year-old wearing green and white again while Horford continues to consider his free agency choices.
On Tuesday, Stevens informed reporters that we had extended offers to both Al and Luke (Kornet). We wish we could have gotten both of them back. That’s doubtful, in my opinion. And the only reason I haven’t spoken to you about Al is because it isn’t definitive.
According to reports, Horford is weighing offers from the Lakers and Warriors, and the Nuggets are also apparently interested. His exit would be yet another blow to the Celtics’ frontcourt, which has already lost Kristaps Porzingis to a trade and Kornet to San Antonio in free agency.
Horford, who averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 60 game appearances last season, frequently took Porzingis’ place in the starting lineup. After spending his first three seasons with the Celtics and stints in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, he has now spent the last four years in Boston. Stevens thinks Horford will always be remembered since he won a championship and made the playoffs every year in Boston.
Stevens stated, “I believe he is (still) an all-time Celtic, a winner, and he did everything he could for this organization if he were to go and play somewhere else.” In addition to the games, he had an influence on our younger players, who now need to use the lessons they’ve learned from the Jrue (Holiday), the Als, and others in a leadership capacity.
The Celtics big men are reduced to Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, and Luka Garza in Horford’s absence, who Jayson Tatum referred to as his favorite teammate last season. With Tatum (Achilles tear) probably out for the upcoming season and facing serious second-apron penalties, Stevens has seized the opportunity for a financial makeover.
Low-level additions like Garza and former Timberwolves forward Josh Minott have been a part of that reset. Despite not having an influence on Minnesota’s roster the previous season, both of them ought to be included in Boston’s rotation this year. Despite the Celtics’ continued exemption from the luxury tax, Stevens stated he does not anticipate any roster changes in the near future.
“It’s a lot less than around the draft and even around as the moratorium comes to an end,” Stevens said, adding that there will likely be some discussions that all 30 clubs have during the NBA Summer League. As for us, we’re quite at ease with this bunch going into the upcoming season, but who knows what may happen?
The 2025–26 Celtics, who do not yet have a decided starting lineup, are anticipated to be led by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
Sam Hauser, a sharpshooter, is still available on the team and might be traded to help reduce expenses even more. Payton Pritchard, a former backup point guard, and Anfernee Simons, a former Trailblazer, may be promoted to a new starting position. In addition, the Celtics have first-round rookie Hugo Gonzalez on the wing, past second-round choices Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh, and Georges Niang (who was acquired from Atlanta).
Related Articles
-
Resetting Celtics roster after busy week of trades, draft picks
-
Celtics never came close to trading Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, team exec says
-
Celtics draft sharp-shooting guard at No. 57 to round out 2025 class
-
Celtics draft Kentucky big man after second-round trade-down
-
Celtics land four picks in trade-down after missing out on reported Round 2 target
Gonzalez will take center stage for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, particularly in light of remarks made by teammates at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday.
González plays with vigor. “Very difficult,” Walsh told reporters. Fans will adore that. He hits the rim forcefully, plays aggressively, dives on the floor, and is a defensive threat. I believe everyone is aware of that, but I have never seen him play before and have been able to see it and defy it. Once, he got me. It’s been cool.
In the past, Summer League has prompted some NBA trade discussions. According to Stevens, the Celtics are content with the resources at their disposal going ahead, including ownership of the majority of their next draft selections.
With the exception of the 2029 pick, we still have the majority of our first-round selections, Stevens stated. We currently have a lot of second-round picks, so we have some flexibility there. We don’t want to sacrifice our ability to use those picks to improve over the next few years in order to save money. That has, I believe, been made very apparent to me.
We’ll keep looking at ways to improve things a little bit or make minor adjustments, and perhaps something will come up in the coming weeks, but that’s been our attitude, he continued.
