Al Horford is still one of the better names available on the free agent market.
He’s older, but a productive addition for teams looking for what he contributes.
The last 24 hours have pointed towards the possibility of a Horford return to Boston, but the Celtics’ GM, Brad Stevens, may have just shut that possibility down.
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What did Stevens say about the Horford situation?
Al Horford has reportedly been narrowing down his options to a few teams as well as considering retirement.
The Warriors have been a frequently discussed suitor for Horford.
There were still hopes from the Celtics’ end that they could bring back Horford, but in a press conference on Tuesday morning, Stevens said the chances of bringing back Horford are unlikely (Noa Dalzell).
The Celtics have been balancing their payroll around the second apron, and Stevens made that clear in his press conference.
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Noa Dalzell reported that Stevens said, in regards to a question about the importance of trying to get under the luxury tax mark, “There’s benefits to that, but it’s not the priority.”
Getting under the second apron would help the Celtics avoid a lot of penalties, and re-signing Horford at the moment doesn’t help them get any closer to being under that mark.
Unless significant trades were made to move contracts out of Boston, like Stevens said, a Horford return isn’t likely to happen.
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