Celtics' Brad Stevens Announces Al Horford News After Lakers Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 6:06 PM ET

After falling short of defending their NBA title and trading away some key pieces, the Boston Celtics find themselves in transition mode. With their roster already taking on a different identity and salary cap space at a premium, the future of big man Al Horford appears increasingly uncertain.

Amid all the discussions surrounding the 18-year veteran, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens confirmed this week that Boston had extended offers to both Horford and Luke Kornet. The hope was to retain at least one of their reliable frontcourt veterans as the team prepares to be without superstar Jayson Tatum, who continues to recover from a season-ending Achilles injury.

However, Stevens admitted that Horford’s return is now unlikely, as the veteran big man mulls over retirement or perhaps a move to the West Coast. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Horford is likely to decide between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors ( h/t NBA Central).

“We made offers to both Luke and Al," Stevens said to reporters on Tuesday. "We would have loved to have both of them back. I’d say that’s unlikely at this point. The only reason I haven’t talked about Al is because it’s not final… If he were to go and play somewhere else, I think he’s an all-time Celtic."

Brad Stevens says that getting Al Horford back is "unlikely" at this point, but that the Celtics made both him and Luke Kornet offers
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) July 8, 2025

Horford, who turned 39 last month, has been considering his options amid interest from other contenders, including Warriors and Denver Nuggets. If a return to Boston falls through, retirement also remains on the table for the five-time All-Star.

Throughout the 2024-25 season, Horford continued to provide the Celtics with crucial depth, averaging 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds. His leadership and veteran experience have been widely credited for steadying the locker room, especially during their Finals run just two seasons ago.

Celtics fans will have to wait to see if Horford will suit up in green and white for at least one more campaign — or if his celebrated tenure in Boston has reached its final chapter.