Fans have been bracing themselves for change since the team's season came to an early end last month. The Boston Celtics went crashing out of the playoffs at the hands of the New York Knicks and lost Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles in the process.
Now, they enter the most uncertain offseason in recent memory. The Celtics are in a serious financial bind and need to shed a net of $20 million to avoid being above the NBA's second-apron line for the third consecutive season, which would result in harsh repeater penalties.
That already difficult goal becomes even more daunting when considering that two of Boston's more important rotation players, Al Horford and Luke Kornet, are set to become unrestricted free agents next month.
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto shared some insight into the futures of both big men in a recent news dump.
At 39 years old, many have speculated that Horford may consider calling it a career, especially now that the Celtics may not be at the same contending level that they've been at for years. According to Scotto, that doesn't seem to be the case.
"The general sense around the league and those close to Horford is that he’ll continue to play next season," he wrote Monday.
Both Al Horford and Luke Kornet will have suitors in free agency this summer
Though the feeling is that Horford will be back on the hardwood for a 19th NBA season, teams around the league are holding out hope that he may not be back in Boston helping the C's pursue a 19th NBA title.
"Predominantly, high-level playoff contenders are monitoring Horford to see if he’d leave Boston, with the Celtics expected to take a step back without Tatum next season and in a financial crunch regarding their salary books."
Whether or not Horford would actually leave Boston for a second time remains the big question. He learned that the grass isn't always greener when he fled to join the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2019. Of course, that went poorly, and he was thankful to be traded back to the Celtics in 2021.
On the other hand, if Big Al wants to make the most of his final years in the NBA, he may look to join a more competitive roster with a clear direction. As great as things have been in Boston, there's no predicting what things will look like when the season tips off later this year.
The Celtics could try to stay afloat, but they could also commit to the "gap year" concept and lean more heavily into some of the younger players. Who knows if Horford is interested in that?
As for Kornet, the story is about the same. The difference is that other teams will not only try to lure him away from Boston, but they'll be willing to open the checkbook to do so.
"After thoroughly outplaying his current contract, Kornet is expected to earn a substantial pay raise and have a robust market this summer among various teams who have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to spend," Scotto added.
Kornet could be in for a nice payday this summer, considering that the league's non-taxpayer MLE is projected to be $14.1 million for the 2025-26 season. The Celtics, however, could still offer him a competitive deal because they have his Bird rights, even though they're well over the salary cap.
There has been no pointed speculation by insiders about which teams would be in the Kornet market, but the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers should be searching for a center this offseason. Whether it's a starting or rotation role, all three of those teams, as well as others, would benefit from adding a high-IQ, efficient big man like him.