May 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots the ball agai9nst Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the first quarter during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Celtics' Al Horford Could Wind Up With Lakers, Says Insider

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Boston Celtics have already had an offseason full of change. They have had two starters traded away and another key player leave to sign with another team.

Al Horford is another player that the Celtics wanted to keep this offseason. He has been a key player for them for a while, and it's not just because of the value that he adds to the floor.

Now, Horford likely won't be returning to the Celtics next season. There are certain teams that the Celtics would be okay with him signing with.

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Boston would not be okay with losing Horford to their most hated rivals. The Los Angeles Lakers might be a team that Horford ends up with, anyway.

According to Marc Spears of ESPN, Horford might end up looking at signing with the Lakers instead of the Warriors.

Marc Spears on Al Horford:

"Golden State expected him to sign last week, he didn't. Lakers, Milwaukee, Atlanta I believe are also interested...he's still considering retiring, he's not in any hurry. You know who I think's gonna be in this decision: His 10-year son" pic.twitter.com/d87NsP3yaQ
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 14, 2025

"Golden State obviously expected him to sign last week, he didn't. Lakers, Milwaukee, Atlanta I believe are also interested in a nearly 40-year-old guy, who also has retirement on the table."

It is surprising around the NBA that Horford hasn't signed with the Warriors already. He has been expected to sign with them for quite some time, but hasn't done it yet.

Instead, the Lakers might swoop in and steal Horford from the Warriors, which would be a big loss for the Celtics. They would rather have him go to almost any other team than Los Angeles.

Horford going to the Western Conference would certainly hurt the Celtics less, but they would rather him stay in the East if that means he wasn't going to play for the Lakers.

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There is no indication of when Horford will make his decision. It doesn't seem that he is in any hurry to make that call, especially when retirement could still be one of those options.

Horford is still a decent player, so he can help a team as a backup center. He's able to grab rebounds and still hit enough threes to warrant playing 20ish minutes off the bench.

This past season, Horford averaged nine points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 42.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three.

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This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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