May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) runs up court after making a three point basket in the first half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Al Horford Says New CBA 'Destroyed' Celtics

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Former Boston Celtics champion Al Horford may well have returned to the team where he spent seven of his 19 pro seasons in 2025-26 — had the league's punitive second luxury tax apron not been quite so punitive.

According to Anthony Slater of ESPN, the former five-time All-Star ultimately inked a two-year, $11.7 million deal with the Golden State Warriors. And to hear Horford tell it, Horford is convinced that the league CBA's restrictive salary policies are the main reason Boston didn't try to run it back with him.

"This whole CBA thing, apron stuff, it essentially destroyed that team that they built over there," Horford claimed.

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Prior to trading away center Kristaps Porzingis and six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday, Boston's combined salary cap and luxury tax penalties were going to be hovering around the $500 million mark. With six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum hurt, team president Brad Stevens looked to cut costs this summer instead.

If he can manage to dip below the luxury tax entirely (he's $12 million away from doing that at present), Stevens will be able to reset the league's intense repeater tax.

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But in the short term, the Celtics are struggling to string together some wins.

Boston has gone 0-2 thus far. While the Celtics managed to give the possibly-bad Philadelphia 76ers a run for their money during the two teams' shared season opener on Wednesday (Philadelphia won, 117-116, despite some shaky free throw shooting from standout rookie guard VJ Edgecombe), Boston looked a bit listless in a 105-95 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday.

Boston's Post-Championship Core Struggles Through a Rough Start

The Celtics are clearly missing their talented backcourt. Boston has swapped out Tatum, Porzingis, Horford, and another departed big man, Luke Kornet (who ditched the Celtics for a $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs), and replaced them with minimum signings Luka Garza (currently in the league's concussion protocol), Chris Boucher, and Josh Minott, plus former fourth-string big man Neemias Queta. It's been a bit of a drop-off.