Al Horford Doesn’t Commit to Celtics Return as Uncertain Offseason Looms

BOSTON — Al Horford did not commit to returning to the Celtics next season at his exit interview on Saturday afternoon, saying he needed more time to assess his future. Horford becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“I’m just not ready to talk about that right now. I just need some time with my wife and my family. That’s what I plan on doing these next few weeks,” he said. “I just think everything is still very fresh for me. Those are all things that I’ll be thinking about these next few weeks.”

Saturday’s five player interviews at Auerbach Center less than 24 hours after a crushing end to the 2025 season reflected the uncertainty evident at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics mostly still sat shocked at how it all ended, unable to fully grasp how different next year could look, but all aware of the possibility of change. Horford’s possible departure struck as the most consequential while Jrue Holiday followed Kristaps Porziņģis‘ lead in hoping they’ll remain part of the team’s process of returning to title contention.

For Horford, who’s expressed a desire to continue playing for as long as possible, the prospect of Jayson Tatum missing much of this following season joined the numerous factors that’ll dictate his decision. Teammates who followed Horford respected whatever decision he’ll come to while acknowledging that losing him would leave a gap on the roster they can’t fill.

“I definitely hope we get that figured out,” Payton Pritchard said. “Because his locker room presence alone is just crucial, and then having him on the court. For all the young guys to see how he goes about his business, how professional he is. He’s just a leader. We definitely need him back.” 

The center position becomes the biggest point of uncertainty given Porziņģis’ health challenges entering the final year of his contract. Luke Kornet enters unrestricted free agency alongside Horford, and while Boston has full Bird Rights and can offer as many as five years to him, he also left the door open to any possibility this summer. Last offseason, he took a one-year, minimum contract from the Celtics despite having larger offers available due in part to the chance to play alongside a championship contender that returned almost in full.

That possibility doesn’t exist anymore for the players returning from a stunningly early exit. Players talked on Saturday about letting the city and franchise down. Derrick White conveyed the most emotion on Friday in explaining that his greatest honor was putting on a Celtics uniform while sharing the locker room with teammates who he loved. Nobody downplayed the difficulty Tatum’s absence will inflict on them in the offseason ahead. And everyone realized that the roster could look drastically different the next time the convene. Despite that Pritchard expressed 100% confidence Boston can remain competitive through roster changes and internal growth.

The scene drastically differed from the one in September when training camp began with the first warning sign of a potential breakup, the announcement of ownership change in the summer. Questions about 2025 potentially turning into this team’s last dance were understandably hard to grasp then. Nobody still fully knows the machinations that’ll decide who stays and who goes, particularly with Tatum’s absence entering the equation.

Someone who does, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, will address the media early next week.

“I don’t know the ins-and-outs of what all goes into it, but I do know it’s rare to bring an entire team back from the previous season outside of one or maybe two guys,” Hauser said. “But our whole rotation came back, which I know is really rare. So you just never know if you’re ever gonna play with a certain guy ever again after a season ends. Even after you come off a championship. That’s what hurts. We have a lot of good guys in that locker room, and the thought of not having someone on the team next year, it’s hard to wrap your head around it. There is a lot of uncertainty now, especially with Jayson’s injury. I don’t really know his time to return, but it doesn’t sound like it’s gonna be soon. So yeah, it makes you wonder for sure.”