The start of NBA free agency is on Monday night but teams around the league were allowed to begin negotiations with their own free agents this week following the conclusion of the NBA Finals. The Celtics have two key free agents in the frontcourt with Al Horford and Luke Kornet both set to hit the open market. The urgency to bring both bigs back likely rose this week following the Kristaps Porzingis trade to the Hawks, which netted just a reserve forward (Georges Niang) and a second-round pick as a return.
Stevens was asked about what the team’s priorities were for this offseason and his frontcourt duo after the NBA Draft on Wednesday night and sent a strong message about the team’s intentions.
“I think the biggest thing is, as you look at the rest of the team and what we’re trying to do, there is no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,” Stevens said. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization. They’re going to have, I’m sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that’s well-deserved, but I think that would be a priority. At the same time, I don’t want to put pressure on them. It’s their call ultimately. But, yeah, we would love to have those guys back.”
Horford has been working out at the Celtics practice facility per sources and had previously indicated that he expected to be back in Boston last season. However, he backed off those remarks in May in the wake of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear and a stunning second-round loss to the Knicks. Boston maintains Bird Rights on the big man but Horford is expected to have several suitors in free agency including potential contenders. The same is true for Kornet who outplayed his veteran’s minimum contract last season and is due for a healthy raise.
Whether the Celtics can entice Horford to come back with Tatum sidelined and pay Kornet a market rate is an open question as the Celtics weigh their priorities this summer.
“I think the biggest thing is there clearly is a need to prioritize regaining our flexibility and maximizing, from an asset standpoint, what we can,” Stevens said. “But as far as whatever moves that those are a part of, they’re all separate and hard and things that are going to be – you’re just going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions. But I do think that this is about what we do have to. And we knew this was coming, right? This isn’t a huge surprise. We have to make sure we prioritize that flexibility.”
The Celtics dipped under the second apron of the luxury tax this week with salary cutting trades of Jrue Holiday and Porzingis. However, more salary cuts will be required for Boston to retain Horford and Kornet and still stay under the second apron. Boston could try avoiding the luxury tax entirely with steeper cuts as well in an effort to start resetting the repeater tax. Those motives could impact how much the Celtics are willing to spend to bring Horford and Kornet back.
NBA free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.