Boston Celtics fans have been handed a serious reality check over the past week. First, the team parted ways with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in a pair of cost-cutting trades. Now, Boston is on the cusp of losing two key contributors in free agency as Luke Kornet inked a four-year, $41 million deal to join the San Antonio Spurs, and Al Horford seems awfully close to signing with the Golden State Warriors.
With both players in the final year of their respective deals, there was always a looming fear that this nightmare scenario could become a reality. The second apron was already coming for their expensive roster, but once Jayson Tatum went down with a ruptured Achilles last month, it was clear that the road ahead for Boston was going to get bumpy.
As simple as it may sound, winning basketball games is far easier when Tatum is on the floor. Without him, the ceiling for the 2025-26 Celtics squad falls quite a bit, making it far more difficult to convince players to stick around in favor of competing for a championship, rather than chasing a big pay day.
As ESPN Insider Tim Bontemps pointed out on Tuesday’s “Hoop Collective” episode, Boston’s downward trajectory might’ve made it easier for Kornet to leave for the Spurs this summer.
“He was convinced to stay there last year,” said ESPN insider Tim Bontemps during Tuesday’s “Hoop Collective” episode. “It’s one thing if you’re staying on the Celtics and they have chances to win a title, and it’s another thing when the Celtics are not a team that looks like they can make the playoffs. Right now, they look like a team that could struggle to make the playoffs, let alone be a contender.”
The Celtics wanted to keep Kornet (and Horford) despite their cost-cutting goals
Even with the cost-cutting firesale Brad Stevens and Boston’s front office ran by trading Porzingis and Holiday, the goal was still to find a way to keep both Kornet and Horford in town for at least another season.
"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 during his availability last week. "Those guys are huge parts of this organization."
Even with the recent signing of former Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza, the Celtics will be extremely thin in the middle, should they lose Horford in free agency too. As of Tuesday, Boston’s center group consists of Garza, Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., and second-round draft pick Amari Williams.
Not only has the 39-year-old veteran been linked to the Warriors, but he’s also been linked to several other contending teams, as Stevens predicted last week.
"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 continued.
A sad reality is setting in as free agency unfolds. Celtics fans are not going to have a great team to cheer for next season for the first time in what feels like forever, and they'll likely be rooting for ping pong balls instead of playoff wins.