Mar 13, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Basketball Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Kevin Garnett speaks with Brian Scalabrine during the number retirement ceremony after the game between the Boston Celtics the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Celtics Legend Kevin Garnett Challenges Front Office to Keep Star

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated May 31, 2025 1:42 PM ET

Former Boston Celtics champion Kevin Garnett recently implored the team's front office to retain a current star, ahead of a possible offseason of major change.

The Celtics will be without the services of six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum for most or perhaps all of the 2025-26 season due to an Achilles tendon tear suffered in the second round of the playoffs. Boston is also expected to field the priciest roster in league history, thanks to the CBA's brutal new policy.

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Reserve Boston centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet are both unrestricted free agents this summer. Before the Celtics re-sign either of those players, the team's on-court product is owed $231.5 million. That would produce an exorbitant $270.6 million bill in repeater taxes, for a cumulative cost of $502 million.

Six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday and former one-time All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis' contracts have been floated as the two contracts the Celtics could offload this summer to cut way down on that epic bill.

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Garnett, who won a championship and a Defensive Player of the Year award with the Celtics in 2008 and brought the team to the 2010 NBA Finals, vouched for Boston to retain Porzingis this summer.

“Man you got to bring Porzingis back,” Garnett said. “Porzingis makes it all unguardable. When Porzingis is in there and everybody is healthy, this year they weren’t healthy at all.”

The 7-foot-2 big man, 29, is owed $30.7 million on an expiring deal next year, and on paper is a perfect floor-spacing center with elite rim protection ability.

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But Porzingis hasn't been healthy during either of his two playoff runs with the Celtics.

This year, the veteran averaged 19.5 points on .483/.412/.809 shooting splits, plus 6.8 boards, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks a night — while playing in just 42 regular season bouts.

In the playoffs, Porzingis' contributions nosedived. He averaged just 7.7 points on .316/.154/.689 shooting splits, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 11 games for Boston (just seven starts) while grappling with post-viral health impacts. His long-term future remains murky.

Garnett's enthusiasm for Porzingis should not preclude Boston ownership from moving off his deal.

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

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