Basketball <\/p>\n
The Boston Celtics parted ways with two of their best players recently when they traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is bracing for another to depart.<\/p>\n
Stevens told reporters on Tuesday that he believes it is \u201cunlikely\u201d the Celtics will re-sign veteran big man Al Horford. Stevens said the team has made an offer to Horford, but it sounds like the expectation is that the 39-year-old will move on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made offers to both Luke (Kornet) and Al (Horford). We would love to have both of them back. I\u2019d say that\u2019s unlikely,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cThe only reason I haven\u2019t talked about Al is because it\u2019s not final. I could probably talk about Al my whole press conference and not say enough, but I don\u2019t want to speak in absolute terms until an ultimate decision is made.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stevens added that he views Horford as \u201can all-time Celtic\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\nAsked Brad Stevens if resigning Al Horford is still a priority:<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know what I can say about this or not say about it. I mean, we made offers to both Luke and Al. We would\u2019ve loved to have had both of them back. I’d say that’s unlikely. The only reason I haven’t talked\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/5DWxIkpBNR<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2014 Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) July 8, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/center>\n\t<\/div>\n
\nThe Celtics have been trying to get below the second apron, which is why they traded Holiday and Porzingis. They probably know that Horford is going to receive better offers from other teams.<\/p>\n
Horford, a five-time All-Star, averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game for Boston this past season. He can hit the occasional three-pointer and has made 37.7 percent of his career attempts from beyond the arc. Horford is also a strong rebounder and low-post defender.<\/p>\n
Jayson Tatum is also expected to miss most \u2014 if not all \u2014 of the 2025-26 season, so the Celtics are unlikely to be the highest bidder for Horford with their championship aspirations in question for next year.<\/p>\n
Horford has reportedly drawn significant interest from contending teams<\/a>. He should find a new home in the near future.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports<\/a> and was syndicated with permission.<\/p>\n