Latest news with #Horford
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Could the Boston Celtics lose Al Horford this summer?
Could the Boston Celtics lose Al Horford this summer? Al Horford is heading into unrestricted free agency. The veteran big man played a key role for the Boston Celtics this season, suiting up for 60 games, with 42 coming as a starter. Despite recently turning 39 years old, Horford is still a highly impactful big man, both on the court and in the locker room. However, given Horford's age and the uncertainty surrounding the Celtics' roster, there's no telling whether he will return to the franchise next season. He could choose to retire, or may even look to contend for a championship elsewhere in the league. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, who spoke on a June 1 episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, Horford would be a strong addition to the New York Knicks. During a June 2 episode of the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast, hosts Adam Taylor and Billy Calabrese discussed Horford's future, and why it's unlikely he jumps ship to help a New York team that also fell short this season. Taylor and Calabrese all touched on the Celtics potential need for a long-term solution at the center position, and whether Horford could return for another year with the franchise. You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Is there any chance the Knicks could poach Boston Celtics big man Al Horford?
Is there any chance the Knicks could poach Boston Celtics big man Al Horford? Is there any chance the New York Knicks could actually poach veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford? In light of the Celtics' incoming cap crunch thanks to an unprecedented payroll and tax bill coupled with an injury to star Boston forward Jayson Tatum that will have him out for much or all of next season, the conventional wisdom that Horford will return to the team has begun to be questioned by prominent NBA analysts. Among them is ESPN senior reporter Tim Bontemps, who postulated that the University of Florida alum might consider decamping to the New York Knicks this summer as a result of all the chaos besetting Boston this offseason. Does the ESPN analyst have a point about the Dominican center? Or is this just typical offseason speculation? The folks behind the "NESN" YouTube channel put together a clip from their "Hold My Banner" show to talk it over. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about what they see regarding a possibility of Horford leaving Boston for New York.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA insider suggests Boston Celtics rival as threat to sign Al Horford
The status of Al Horford is one of several big questions the Celtics front office will face this offseason. The veteran big man signaled back in March that he planned on playing another next season in Boston. However, an early second-round exit to the Knicks combined with Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear had him hedging on those plans last month. 'Yeah, I'm just not ready to talk about that right now,' Horford said in May. 'I just need some time with my wife and my family, and that's what I plan on doing these next few weeks.' Advertisement Horford will be an unrestricted free agent after playing his last four seasons in Boston following the Celtics acquiring him from the Thunder in 2021. At 38 years old, it remains to be seen whether he'd be willing to play for a team that may not be a serious contender in Boston next season with Tatum sidelined. That uncertainty may open the door for opportunity for one of Boston's rivals as Tim Bontemps suggested on ESPN's Hoop Collective. 'Al Horford is a free agent,' Bontemps said. 'I don't think at this point it makes a lot of sense for Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics, I think he's now much more in play than he might have been a month ago. Al Horford is a longtime friend of Karl-Anthony Towns and has played with him with the Dominican National team for a long time.' 'If (the Knicks) go get Al Horford this summer, who I think (Al) would be an unbelievable fit on this Knicks roster and they go get another perimeter player to deepen their rotation. That's a much better team and a team that could beat the Pacers next year. That's a team that'll be in the mix in the East.' The Knicks are currently already have salary committed beyond the first apron for next season so they wouldn't be able to offer anything beyond the taxpayer midlevel exception for next season. However, the Knicks' need for another versatile big is evident given Towns' defensive woes and the injury issues Mitchell Robinson has faced for the next two years. Advertisement If the Celtics avoid a bigger reset next season to the roster, the guess here is the team will still pitch Horford on returning for the next couple years in hopes they can make another deep playoff run once Tatum returns. However, if Horford is focused on having a better chance to win next season above all else if he continues playing, the Knicks are among several teams that will be worth watching on the free agency market. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NBA rumors: Insider suggests Knicks could steal Celtics veteran
The post NBA rumors: Insider suggests Knicks could steal Celtics veteran appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Knicks were two wins short of reaching the NBA Finals, but now they have to go into the offseason wondering what they can do to improve the roster. Advertisement With the starting five looking to be set in stone for now, the one thing the Knicks need to focus on is building depth on the bench. It was obvious that's where most of their problems came from, and getting some solid pieces in the rotation could help them. As free agency begins on June 30, there will be several players whom the Knicks could sign, and one of them has been a veteran on the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. 'Al Horford is a free agent,' Bontemps said on the Hoop Collective podcast. 'I don't think at this point it makes a lot of sense for … Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics, I think he's now much more in play than he might have been a month ago.' A lot changed for the Celtics when Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles, but there was always a chance that the core group of that team would get broken up during the offseason because of how much money is on their payroll. Horford could find a way to a team that has a better chance of winning next season, and the Knicks do make a lot of sense. Could Al Horford sign with the Knicks? Not only does it make sense for Horford to sign with the Knicks because of basketball reasons, but he also has a connection with one of the players on the team. Advertisement 'Horford is a longtime friend of (Karl-Anthony Towns and) has played with him with the Dominican National team for a long time,' Bontemps said. 'If they go get Al Horford this summer, … I think (he) would be an unbelievable fit on this Knicks roster.' Horford has played an important part for the Celtics on and off the court over the years, and he can be the player that the Knicks are looking for. He would be a solid backup to Towns, and he can play both the 4 and 5, so there are times they may decide to put both on the floor at the same time. It will be an interesting offseason for the Knicks, and hopefully, they can get some quality depth on the team.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Tim Bontemps could be on to something as Al Horford becomes a free agent before the next season begins
Al Horford has been with the Boston Celtics on his second run with the team since 2021. He was one of their top players last season, when the Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship 4-1, beating the Dallas Mavericks. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And he was right there this season when they had a pretty superb regular season, becoming the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference. They advanced to the Conference Semifinals before getting eliminated by the New York Knicks. And now Horford is a free agent after his latest run with the Boston Celtics this season, so of course, speculations abound about what his future might hold. ESPN's Tim Bontemps has an inkling of what Al Horford could be doing next Al Horford has said that he has no plans to retire so soon. The 38-year-old NBA All-Star has been with the for four years before his contract expires at the end of the current season. So obviously, a lot of chatter about his immediate future in the league is getting a lot of limelight. Recently, ESPN's Tim Bontemps shared what Horford could be doing now that his tenure at Boston has come to an end. 'Al Horford is a free agent. I don't think at this point it makes a lot of sense for Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics, I think he's now much more in play than he might have been a month ago…Horford is a longtime friend of Karl-Anthony Towns and has played with him with the Dominican National team for a long time.' The New York Knicks recently got eliminated by the Indiana Pacers during the Conference Finals, where they had been a dominant force so far. They had a historic season this time around, and have impressed many with their stats. So this is no doubt a good place for Al Horford to go to if he decides to leave the Celtics. And of course, his connection with Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks center, is also there. So this could be a pretty good move for the Dominican athlete. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But is this what he wants? What are Al Horford's future plans? With his 40th birthday just a day away, Al Horford is looking at a pretty bleak future in terms of his playing career. While he has been a pretty consistent part of the Boston Celtics team so far, his stats have not been what they once used to be, even if he had a pretty positive impact on the team defensively this season. But now that he is a free agent, whether the Celtics re-sign him or let him go is up in the air. A few weeks ago, while talking about Walter Clayton Jr. , Horford said to sports broadcaster John Fanta: 'I know that I'm gonna be playing against him next season in the pros. Maybe he'll be with us." But the uncertainty is on whether he himself is going to stay with the Celtics next season, or the fans will see a change in the playing order. Another thing that could pose an issue is that the have already had to pay the luxury tax penalty this season and could be looking to repeat it the next season if they don't make some major changes. This could also lead to them either trying to let Horford go or trying to sign him with a massive pay cut. Whether he accepts it or not would be up to the player. Also Read:
