Celtics
“I feel [he’s] an all-time Celtic and winner and did all the things he might for this group.”
It’s been a summer season of change up to now for Brad Stevens and the Celtics.
Over the span of some weeks, the Celtics have traded away two lineup regulars in Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis — whereas additionally watching Luke Kornet signal with the Spurs in free company.
However the exodus on Causeway Road would possibly proceed this summer season relating to veteran Al Horford, who’s at the moment mulling his choices in free company.
Chatting with reporters on the Auerbach Heart on Tuesday, Stevens acknowledged that the percentages of Horford returning for an eighth season seem slim at this stage of the summer season.
“I don’t know what I can say about this or not say about it,” Stevens stated about Horford’s possibilities of returning to the Celtics. “I imply, we made presents to each Luke and Al. We’d like to have had each of them again. I’d say that’s unlikely. And the one motive I haven’t talked about Al is as a result of I might in all probability speak about Al my complete press convention and never say sufficient.
“I don’t wish to converse in absolute phrases till an final determination is made. However one other man that if he had been to go and play some place else — I feel [he’s] an all-time Celtic and winner and did all the things he might for this group. Not solely from the video games, but additionally how he impacted our youthful gamers, who, in numerous methods, now must take what they’ve realized from the Jrues and the Als and folks like that and apply that from a management position.”
Even at 40 years previous, Horford would provide loads of attraction to a number of groups on the open market given his management, championship pedigree, and talent to stretch the ground as a 3-point shooter.
A steadying presence on a number of Celtics groups that integrated youthful franchise gamers over Boston’s prolonged rivalry window, Horford has averaged 11.2 factors, 6.8 rebounds, and three.6 assists per sport throughout his two stints with Boston. He sank 38.8 % of his 3-point makes an attempt over his profession with Boston.
Final season, Horford appeared in 60 video games (42 begins) with Boston, averaging 26.6 minutes per contest.
The Stein Line‘s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported last week that “all indicators” level to Horford inking a take care of the Warriors.
With Porzinigs, Kornet, and probably Horford all taking part in elsewhere, Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., 2025 second-round decide Amari Williams, and the not too long ago signed Luka Garza stand as the one large males at the moment on Boston’s roster.
“We had an unbelievable luxurious with Luke and Neemias as our third and 4 facilities, as a result of I feel they had been each a lot better than that,” Stevens stated of Boston’s frontcourt depth shifting ahead. “And I feel Luke may have a tremendous impression in San Antonio, and I feel Neemias has an important probability to be impactful right here. We’ve at all times favored Luka Garza from afar, and we expect that he has the actual physicality that’s vital on each ends of the ground, particularly on the glass, along with his potential to attain.
“You’ve acquired Amari … We predict that he has a excessive upside. After which you’ll be able to flex different guys into that heart position. Tillman is extra of a 4, in all probability, however he can flex into that heart position. And so we’ll have to try this by committee. That group won’t be the group that folks will single out, based mostly on paper — on what they’ve accomplished with their careers up to now — as our strongest place. But it surely’s as much as them to show it in any other case.”
Join the At this time publication
Get all the things it’s good to know to start out your day, delivered proper to your inbox each morning.
