After failing to defend their title, the Boston Celtics have entered an offseason clouded by uncertainty. This uncertainty has been fueled by a devastating injury to superstar Jayson Tatum and the franchise's urgency to shed salary and get below the second apron of the NBA's luxury tax.
Tatum's status for the 2025-26 season is up in the air while he rehabs a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered in Game 4 of Boston's Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to the New York Knicks. Celtics president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, has been emphatic that Tatum will not return to the hardwood until he is "fully ready and fully healthy". Tatum shared his frustration in an update on Saturday. The Celtics must face an undesirable reality that they could be forced to play the entire 2025-26 season without the face of their franchise.
Swinging a pair of salary-shedding trades, Stevens sent guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang were the main returns from Portland and Atlanta, respectively. The real headliner of the trade, however, was Boston's ability to descend under the second apron by shedding approximately $27 million in cap space.
An impending free agent, Celtics versatile big man Al Horford is slated to hit free agency at 39 years old. The 18-year veteran averaged nine points per game last season while lacing them up for over 27 minutes a night. Despite Brad Stevens' insistence that they are intent on retaining Horford, his age and expiring contract status could render him disposable, especially if Boston leans towards punting on the 2025-26 season due to Tatum's status and their luxury tax cap crunch.
The Celtics provided themselves some insurance for a potential Horford departure when they selected Kentucky's Amari Williams with the 46th overall pick on Thursday.
Currently, Boston is about $4.6 million below the second apron, while needing to retain both Horford and Luke Kornet. There is a scenario where Boston could uncomfortably be forced to decide between Horford and Kornet. With Horford nearly a decade Kornet's senior, it is a proposition that would likely make both Horford and the Celtics nervous (and explain why Stevens has reportedly explored flipping Simons).
Originally drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2007 NBA Draft, Horford has had two stints with the Celtics. After spending the first nine seasons of his career in Atlanta, Horford inked a four-year, $113 million deal with the C's in free agency prior to the start of the 2016-17 season. The big man quickly blossomed into a fan favorite in Boston and was named to the All-Star and NBA All-Defensive Second Team in his sophomore season in Celtics green.
After two seasons apart with the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Horford and the Celtics reunited via a June 2021 trade. He was a key piece in Banner 18, playing 30.3 minutes per game and posting an insane 72 percent two-point field goal percentage during Boston's run to a title.
Horford has been a consummate professional in Boston and one of the fan base's most beloved players. If he has played his last game on the parquet floor, it is through no fault of his own; rather, it would be another grim reminder of a cutthroat business.
Teams may begin negotiating with all free agents at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, 2025.