The Boston Celtics aren’t expected to be a very active team in NBA free agency this offseason. But they do have a pair of important decisions to make regarding two valuable frontcourt pieces.
Big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet are both set to hit unrestricted free agency when the new league year begins on July 6. Boston can negotiate with Horford and Kornet up until that point, but if no deals are reached, they could hit the open market and potentially seek greener pastures.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens would prefer that doesn’t happen.
“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 told reporters Wednesday night in his press conference after the 2025 NBA Draft. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization.”
Horford has spent seven of his last nine seasons in Boston and is one of the most well-established and beloved Celtics players of the past decade. While he turned 39 years old earlier this month, he’s still a very effective big man who averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season over 60 games (42 starts).
Kornet, meanwhile, is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over a career high 18.6 minutes per game. If he stays in Boston, the 29-year-old would have an opportunity to take on an even bigger role following the Celtics’ reported trade of Kristaps Porzingis.
The question is whether Boston can afford Horford and Kornet at the price tag they’ll seek in free agency. The Celtics shed roughly $27 million in salary by reportedly dealing Porzingis and Jrue Holiday but are just $4.6 million under the second apron of the luxury tax and can’t go back over that threshold. So, they’d need to trim additional salary if they want to bring both Horford and Kornet back in the fold.
Boston also may have competition for both players; ESPN’s Shams Charania noted Wednesday that Horford has a “robust” free-agent market around the league. But Stevens made it very clear that his club will make every attempt to re-sign both players.
“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,” Stevens said of Horford and Kornet.
“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.”
