Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens spoke about the departures of Al Horford and Luke Kornet on Monday morning at Media Day. He revealed that the Celtics offered both of them contracts and the chance to stay in town, but ultimately, those deals didn’t pan out.
“We offered both Al and Luke the opportunity to stay, but I think you can see where our contracts were with who we signed that we were going to be handcuffed around the apron a little bit,” Stevens said. “And I think that is part of the—We knew that there were going to have to be big moves, and then in addition to that, Luke played his way into a great opportunity and great contract, and we couldn't be more thrilled for him… Then now, same thing, we gave Al an offer, but there wasn't any expectation that he wouldn't take a bigger offer elsewhere and go play, because that's his right.”
Now, the Celtics will have to navigate life with a new big man rotation.
What will Celtics do without Al Horford and Luke Kornet?
At the beginning of free agency, Kornet inked a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, capitalizing on a career season with the Celtics in 2024-25. He’ll be a top backup to Victor Wembanyama alongside Kelly Olynyk, another former Celtic.
Meanwhile, Horford waited until the tail end of the summer to sign with the Golden State Warriors. He’ll join them on a multi-year deal, though they are likely waiting for the Jonathan Kuminga situation to iron itself out before the contract details come through.
For the Celtics, this season will look much, much different at the center spot. On top of losing Horford and Kornet, the Celtics also traded Kristaps Porzingis in a move motivated by ducking the second apron.
Neemias Queta is projected to be Boston’s starting center this season, and coming off an impressive run with Portugal at EuroBasket, he’ll have more opportunities to play than ever.
Behind him, veteran big man Chris Boucher and former collegiate legend Luka Garza could see some real playing time. Xavier Tillman and two-way rookie Amari Williams could play a small factor, too.
Without Horford and Kornet, Boston will be fighting to get the most out of every center on the roster, especially if they want to compete.
Boston wanted them back, but in the end, they weren’t able to make it happen. Now, Horford will be helping Stephen Curry, while Kornet will be supporting Wembanyama. And the Celtics are moving on.