Al Horford is likely taking his veteran presence and talents to a new team this offseason.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said it’s “highly unlikely” that the 39-year-old center will return to Boston when asked at a Tuesday press conference.
“The only reason I haven’t talked about Al is because it’s not final,” Stevens said after talking in length about the departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. “I could probably talk about Al my whole press conference and not say enough. But, I don’t want to speak in absolute terms until an ultimate decision is made.”
With Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum out for likely all of next season after suffering a torn Achilles and the NBA’s second apron restricting the team’s future, Boston has cleaned house this offseason.
With Holiday and Porzingis already out the door to the Trail Blazers and Hawks, respectively, Horford is lined up to be the next veteran from the 2024 championship team to be on his way out.
“If he were to go and play somewhere else, [he] was an all-time Celtic, a winner and did everything he could for this organization,” Stevens added.
So, late into his career that’s already lasted 18 seasons, Horford is looking to compete for his second championship — wherever he may land.
His top list of suitors have been rumored to be the Warriors, Lakers and Nuggets, while ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Horford will also consider retirement.
NBA insider Brett Siegel reported that the league’s widespread expectation is that Horford will join Golden State once the situation with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who the Warriors have shopped in trades, clears up.
As for the Lakers and Nuggets, Siegel reported that Los Angeles is likely out of the mix for Horford after bringing in Deandre Ayton and that Denver would likely only make a major push if its recent acquisition of Jonas Valanciunas falls through with rumors of him looking to leave the NBA for Europe.
While Horford is nearing the end of his career, he still played a crucial role for the Celtics this past season and especially in their championship run the previous campaign.
He played 60 games this past season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds on 42.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from deep. During the 2023-24 season, those shooting splits were up at 51.1 and 41.9 percent with 8.6 points per game.