Al Horford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Notes: New Owner, Horford, Kornet, Hauser, Pritchard, Mazzulla

March 22nd, 2025 at 7:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The record-setting $6.1 billion purchase price for the Celtics is just the beginning of William Chisholm‘s investment in the franchise. As Jay King of The Athletic notes, Chisholm is taking over a team with a massive salary and huge expectations that will become even more expensive if the core of the roster is kept together.

Boston’s payroll is projected to be in the neighborhood of $445MM next season in salaries and luxury tax, per John Hollinger of The Athletic. That’s without free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet, who would push that total higher if they’re both re-signed.

As players waited out the sale process, Jayson Tatum talked about the importance of finding a new owner who understands “the culture” and Jaylen Brown expressed the need to “keep the emphasis on winning.” Both statements reflect the necessity for continued spending for the Celtics to remain at a championship level, as King adds that the fanbase will quickly turn on the new owner if talent is sacrificed to save money.

“That’s something that they’ll have to figure out,” Horford said. “Ultimately, they’ll be the new owners of the team, they’ll have to make those decisions. But this is my 18th season in the league and there are very few times when you get a special group or a certain window of guys that you can do some special things. So I’m sure that they will be aware of that but that’s something that you have to understand what you’re stepping into.”

There’s more from Boston:

Bobby Marks of ESPN believes the roster is “sustainable” for the near future, even with the giant tax bills (Twitter video link). Marks points out that the Celtics have 11 players under contract for next season — including Tatum and Brown, who are both signed to long-term deals — and they’ll have two picks in the top 32 of this year’s draft. However, he adds that it could be hard to keep complementary players like Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard long-term because of the effect they’ll have on the luxury tax.
Coach Joe Mazzulla came away encouraged from his first meeting with the new owner, according to Adam Himmeslbach of The Boston Globe. Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and life-long Celtics fan, pledged to build on the team’s recent success. “Just continue to win championships, continue to be a high-level organization on and off the court, and he obviously has a lot of experience doing that in other endeavors,” Mazzulla said. “So just continuing to work to make the Celtics better, and then kind of give us a shot every year to go after a championship. So I’m excited about that.”
Chisholm expressed similar sentiments to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). “The team is in a great place right now, and I’m very sensitive to that,” he said. (Current owner) Wyc (Grousbeck), (president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens) and Joe have done amazing jobs. … My approach is to win and raise banners. That’s in the near term and the long term. I bleed green. I love the Celtics. When opportunity came up, I couldn’t pass it up. Wyc has done an incredible job. So why would you mess that up? I’ve had a couple of sitdowns with Brad and it’s been about aligning our goals and extending the window of this team.”
Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports examines the record price tag, attributing it to the scarcity of pro sports franchises for sale and the NBA’s new media rights deal.

Kristaps Porzingis Returns From Viral Illness

March 15th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis will return for Saturday’s game against Brooklyn after battling an illness for several weeks. Boston is listing Porzingis as available on its injury report (Twitter link).

This will be the first game action for Porzingis since February 26. He missed the past eight contests with a viral illness and provided details of his recovery process earlier this week.

Porzingis has only appeared in 32 games this season, so he’ll fall well short of the 65-game requirement to qualify for postseason awards. He was unavailable for the first few weeks while recovering from offseason surgery and didn’t make his season debut until November 25.

The Celtics have been careful with Porzingis’ health — keeping him out of back-to-back games — in an effort to make sure he’s injury-free heading into the playoffs. He has remained effective in his limited playing time, averaging 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per night while shooting 47.4% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are both dealing with knee issues, have also been upgraded to available. Al Horford and Derrick White will be inactive, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive, as the Celtics are playing for the second straight night after defeating Miami on Friday.

Atlantic Notes: Tucker, Tatum, Horford, Porzingis, George, Lawson

March 10th, 2025 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

P.J. Tucker, who signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks, said he had multiple options after Toronto waived him late last month. Knicks top executive Leon Rose had been Tucker’s agent earlier in his career.

“There were a few [options]. That was the thing — just trying to pick the right place,” Tucker told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post and other media members on Monday. “I always felt like the Knicks were my first option throughout the whole process, so I was happy to wait it out and be able to make that happen.”

Tucker signed the short-term deal with an understanding that he’ll stick around for the remainder of the season and playoffs if all goes according to plan, Bondy writes. Tucker had been sitting out the season with the Clippers until he was dealt twice before the trade deadline.

“It felt like I just got drafted again,” he said. “It’s like a whole new fresh energy, especially coming from home. It’s different. Trust me, it’s different.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics played without three key players against the Jazz on Monday, Brian Robb of MassLive.com notes. Jayson Tatum (knee) was downgraded from questionable to out. Al Horford (toe) was also downgraded to out and Kristaps Porzingis remained sidelined for the sixth consecutive game due to illness. Despite their injury designations, the absences of Tatum and Horford could simply be due to rest — Tatum played a season-high 45 minutes in Boston’s win over the Lakers on Saturday night, while Horford totaled 37 minutes.
Sixers forward Paul George (left groin soreness) did not play Monday at Atlanta and won’t play Wednesday at Toronto, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George will be reevaluated prior to Friday’s game vs. Indiana. He has missed 23 games, counting Monday’s contest, in his first season with Philadelphia.
Ontario native A.J. Lawson got a chance to start for the injury-riddled Raptors in their home game against Utah on Friday and it was special to him. “It means everything (to start at home),” Lawson told Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “My parents got to see, my fam, friends, loved ones. It’s amazing. If I checked my phone right now, they’re probably all sending me snaps and videos, I’m super happy about it. I was trying to be serious, too, but I couldn’t hold it in, I had to smile. That’s my personality, I’m a positive, happy person.” Lawson also started the home game against Washington the following night.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Sixers, Horford, Raptors

March 9th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse believes the team is on the cusp of figuring out its new treatment plan for star center Joel Embiid, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelpahi Inquirer. At the end of February, Embiid was shut down for the rest of the season with left knee swelling.

“…I think they are getting closer to that,” Nurse said on Saturday. “I think there’s another [evaluation] at some point today, as well. I know they met a lot and talked a lot and [saw] a lot of people… So we are working at it, but we just don’t have a definitive answer quite yet.”

Pompey notes that Philadelphia and Embiid have pondered the possibility of a follow-up surgery on the knee. He last went under the knife in February 2024 for a left meniscus surgery, but the former MVP is still dealing with pain and swelling in that knee.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers made a flurry of big signings during the 2024 offseason in anticipation of a deep playoff run. Forward Paul George agreed to a four-season, $211.6MM deal to join Philadelphia in free agency, while Embiid was inked to a three-year, $192.9MM contract extension, which won’t begin until 2026/27. Instead of being an MVP contender this year, however, the team has seen Embiid limited to 19 games, while many of its new additions have regressed mightily from their 2023/24 runs. In a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pompey details how Philadelphia’s summer splurge could adversely impact its roster-building in the years to come.
Celtics center Al Horford, one of the league’s oldest active players at age 38, received major praise from his colleagues following a 111-101 victory over the Lakers on Saturday, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Playing 37 minutes with Kristaps Porzingis unavailable, Horford scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four dimes. “Al is one of a kind,” All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum said. “…I’m the biggest Al Horford fan there is. I love that guy.” Head coach Joe Mazzulla, meanwhile, called the 6’9″ vet “a future Hall of Famer.” With his longevity, scoring output, team success (he’s won one NBA championship and two NCAA titles), and five All-Star appearances, Horford does have a case. “Al is just old reliable,” All-Star Celtics wing Jaylen Brown said. “He’s just the ultimate connector for us on both ends.” Across 50 games in his 18th pro season, Horford is averaging 8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals per night, with a .418/.358/.893 shooting line.
With the postseason likely out of reach for this year’s Raptors, the team is prioritizing player development, notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. To wit, Toronto is getting encouraging minutes from rookies Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, and Jamison Battle, plus solid performances from two-way players Jared Rhoden and A.J. Lawson. The club believes intense pregame workout sessions among its younger players have played a part in their growth. “We push ourselves in those workouts and we get out there in games and try to replicate that,” Shead said.

Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh

March 6th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).

Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.

The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.

Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.

Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”

Atlantic Notes: Boucher, Barnes, Holiday, Watford, Reese

February 24th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Boucher‘s name was bandied about before the trade deadline but the Raptors big man was confident he wouldn’t be dealt. He had steady communication with the front office during that time.

“I won’t lie to you, I think it was the most peaceful deadline I had compared to the other years,” Boucher told William Lou of RaptorsRepublic.com. “I was also talking with (general manager) Bobby (Webster) and all of them, and I never thought I was going to be going away. The media says one thing, but really, the GM, and the people around here would have told me if something would have happened, and then I would have been a little bit more concerned.”

Boucher will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Scottie Barnes was the primary defender on Kevin Durant during the Raptors’ win over Phoenix on Sunday. Durant was limited to 15 points and Barnes told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.com that it wasn’t a fluke. “I think I’m a high-level defender, one of the best defenders in this league,” Barnes said. “I’m able to be able to guard multiple positions, switch, give the ball pressure because I move really well for my size and I’m out there reading things.”
Jrue Holiday will get Tuesday night off when the Celtics visit Toronto. Holiday will be rested in the first game of a back-to-back, Brian Robb of Masslive.com reports. Luke Kornet (personal reasons) will also miss the contest, while reserve center Al Horford (toe) is listed as questionable.
Nets forward Trendon Watford showed off his versatility on Saturday when head coach Jordi Fernandez used him at point guard during crunch time against the Sixers. Watford scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. “He helps you win,” Fernandez told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “And he does that because he’s able to score, but also able to handle and play-make and play four positions, and post-up and make a three. So all those things are super valuable at his size and position.”
The two-way contract that the Sixers gave Alex Reese is a two-year deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The free agent forward signed the contract on Friday.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Season, Horford

February 23rd, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After sitting out a team practice on Sunday, Sixers center Joel Embiid is now questionable to suit up for Monday’s tilt against the Bulls as he continues to battle a lingering knee injury, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

The seven-time All-Star has only played 19 games this season, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals per night — all significant drops from his output a year ago.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Sixers and Embiid are consulting with doctors about alternative treatment options for the knee, which hasn’t responded as hoped to the current treatment plan. As Charania notes, that plan has included regular injections. Sources tell ESPN that Embiid will undergo some additional testing early this week before a decision is made, but surgery is one of the options on the table.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse recently spoke at a presser about Embiid’s struggles to play through the injury, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

“I would agree that he’s not moving nearly as well as we was,” Nurse said. “We were hoping maybe something conditioning, rhythm, that kind of stuff would get that going, but it doesn’t appear that way right now.”

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

At this stage of their rapidly disintegrating season, it may behoove the Sixers to shut down Embiid for good, Tony Jones of The Athletic argues. As Jones writes, Embiid has lost his offensive burst off the impacted knee and his offensive game is limited, while his movement on defense has looked rough. At 20-36 and having lost seven straight games, the Sixers have slid to the No. 12 seed in the East Conference and are seeing their play-in tournament window closing anyway, even with Embiid available.
The Sixers are still dealing with fallout from their 2020 trade that sent big man Al Horford to the Thunder, Pompey writes in another piece. Philadelphia included its 2025 first-rounder with top-six protection in that deal in order to move off Horford’s contract. With the 76ers seemingly lottery-bound but not at the very bottom of the NBA standings, it’s very possible that pick will land in the top 10 and convey to Oklahoma City.
In case you missed it, Embiid himself has acknowledged that his knee isn’t right and has spoken about looking to improve it this offseason.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Tucker, Trade Deadline, Pritchard

February 1st, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

With everybody healthy for Friday’s game against New Orleans, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla tinkered with his closing lineup, according to to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla rotated his centers in the final minutes of the two-point victory, using Kristaps Porzingis when Boston had the ball and Al Horford when the team was on defense.

“Just different looks,” Mazzulla explained. “We need to play different ways, different coverages. Give them different ones. We just needed to change the matchup and give them a different coverage, looking to take away the three and so just kind of do that.”

Terada notes that Porzingis played well defensively, collecting three steals and four blocks. However, Mazzulla opted to use Horford in key defensive possessions because he’s more effective in closing out on perimeter shooters.

“For me, nothing changed,” Porzingis said. “We trust Al and he comes in for defense and when my name gets called, I’m always ready. Nothing changed.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

P.J. Tucker could wind up being an option on the buyout market after today’s Clippers-Jazz trade, Terada suggests in a separate story. Tucker hasn’t played yet this season, but he’s a tough defender with a lot of playoff experience. As a second apron team, the Celtics are limited in the buyout candidates they can pursue, but they’re eligible to sign Tucker because his $11.5MM salary is below the $12.8MM mid-level exception. Boston has kept a roster spot open since the start of the season.
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive puts the chances of a Celtics trade by the deadline at 95%. Robb says it’s possible the team could move Jaden Springer to reduce its luxury tax bill, even though he’s been an important contributor lately. Beyond that, Robb sees a need to upgrade from Springer, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman on the wing, as well as Xavier Tillman in the frontcourt.
Payton Pritchard has become famous for his success on long-distance shots at the end of quarters, but he’s proving there’s a lot more to his game than that, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Holmes examines how Pritchard has been able to work his way up from a little-used reserve to become a point of emphasis for opposing coaches on a team filled with stars. “Every day, I’m trying to prove that I can still reach another level,” he said. “I can still show people what I’m trying to become. That’s why I’m always challenging the best that we have — like Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum). I’m trying to become as good as them one day. That’s why I challenge them. I’m trying to keep taking steps to better myself, which, at the end of the day, is only going to better our team.”

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Starting Lineup, Roster Moves, Mazzulla

January 18th, 2025 at 4:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

After scoring 23 points in 23 minutes on Friday, Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis expressed hope that he might be available for tonight’s game against Atlanta, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Porzingis is officially listed as questionable, but if he’s able to take the court, it would mark his first back-to-back since returning from offseason surgery.

“I believe so,” Porzingis responded when asked if he felt he could be ready. “But that’s a little bit out of my hands. I think tomorrow we’ll know more information.”

Robb notes that Al Horford won’t be available because he also played in Friday’s game, and the Celtics haven’t used him on both nights of a back-to-back over the past two years. The final decision on Porzingis will be made by the medical staff, and Robb points out that Boston is in the midst of playing five games in seven days, so there are reasons to exercise caution.

Porzingis has played in seven straight contests since returning from an ankle injury, and he has topped 20 points in three of his last five games.

There’s more from Boston:

Friday marked a vintage performance for the Celtics’ starters, who were considered one of the best five-man units in the league last season, Robb states in a separate story. Limited by Porzingis’ absence early on, the group had been together for just 10 games before Friday and had a -11.8 net rating in 147 minutes. They looked back to normal in the victory over Orlando, outscoring the Magic by 15 points in their 20 minutes on the court together. “Results can vary with plus/minus and things like that,” Jayson Tatum said. “But I think just how connected we were on both ends of the floor, especially on defense. Everybody was on the same page, we were connected, helping each other out. So regardless of the plus/minus, the way we went about it was a lot better today.”
The Celtics emphasized continuity in the offseason, bringing back virtually the same roster than won the title in 2024, but a small trade may be necessary to shake things up, Robb adds in a mailbag column. He also suggests it might be time to reduce the minutes for starting guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White in light of their recent struggles.
Coming off Wednesday’s embarrassing loss at Toronto, coach Joe Mazzulla encouraged his players to embrace the challenges that the NBA can present, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The team has been surprisingly average over the past month or so, and Porzingis said it lacked spirit and energy in the 13-point defeat against the lowly Raptors. “To me, this is the fun part of why you enter the arena,” Mazzulla said. “Anyone who is not in the arena, they don’t have a skin in the game. You enjoy it and it’s fun. This is why you do what you do. This is why you play for the Celtics. This is why you play in the NBA. This is why you go after something that’s extremely hard to do is for the challenge of it. And to have an expectation of it being anything other than challenging is the wrong way to attack. … You can’t only enjoy things when they go your way. That’s called being spoiled.”

Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Brown, Springer, Horford

December 20th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Joe Mazzulla had to be restrained from approaching official Justin Van Duyne after the Celtics lost to Chicago on Thursday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Mazzulla was angry about being whistled for a technical foul for coming onto the court after a jump ball was called following a loose-ball battle between Payton Pritchard and Ayo Dosunmu. Although Mazzulla was upset in the moment, he admitted to reporters after the game that the technical was justified.

“I just can’t be on the court,” he said. “The ref had to do his job. I was on the court.”

Jaylen Brown, who also received a technical during the exchange, provided a little more insight, Washburn adds. Brown told Van Duyne that he T’d up Mazzulla for no reason and alleges that the official told him not to say that again or he would get a technical of his own. When Brown repeated his comment, Van Duyne obliged.

“You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul,” Brown said. “That’s not part of the game either. You want to fine people for gestures and all this stuff, [then] fine that. We were down three at that time and that led to us being down eight. That affects the game. That could have been avoided. Joe didn’t say anything to deserve a tech.”

There’s more from Boston:

Brown’s mother and assistant coach Amile Jefferson both had their homes broken into this week, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Jefferson was with the Celtics in Washington when burglars struck his house on Monday, but Mechalle Brown was at home when she was targeted on Sunday. “We’re all right,” Jaylen Brown said. “We’ll deal with situations accordingly. Thank God nothing serious or physical or threatening happened, but the fact that it could have kind of lingers in your mind.” The NBA issued a statement saying that it is “deeply concerned” about burglaries in the Boston area, and its security representatives have contacted the Celtics and local law enforcement.
With Sam Hauser unavailable on Thursday, Jaden Springer got a rare opportunity for extended playing time, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Springer had four rebounds and missed both his shots in 13 minutes, marking the first time this season he’s played outside of the fourth quarter. Mazzulla said matchups were behind his decision to keep Springer on the court so long. “Just match the speed that (the Bulls) play with overall,” Mazzulla said. “I thought he does a good job on the offensive glass and his individual defense and just kind of wanted to match the speed there. I thought he played well.” Terada adds that Springer has already been involved in trade rumors and that his $4.2MM expiring contract could be useful in any Celtics deal.
Al Horford believes that becoming a three-point threat has extended his career, Terada states in a separate story. Horford only attempted 65 total shots from beyond the arc during his first eight NBA seasons, but he has evolved as the game has changed. “For me, physically, it has added years to my career, I feel like,” Horford said. “It’s been good for me, and I think Brook (Lopez) saw it as well, and it’s been a great benefit. And that’s what I was mentioning, that now, like the guys are coming in from college, and they’re already shooting it, and they’re confident, they’re giving them the green light, and it’s a good thing.”