Al Horford finally got his title, and he plans to defend it. The 38-year-old big man will return to the Boston Celtics for his 18th NBA season in 2024-25, team owner Wyc Grousbeck said during an interview on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on Tuesday.
"Al is coming back for next year," Grousbeck said. "That's what I've been told."
Grousbeck continued: "Ironically, we won in '08 over Al's team. The Hawks took us to seven [games] in the first round, so we were part of his drought. And now he came home to us. He loves it here. He and his family love it here. He couldn't be happier. We are all so happy."
Horford, a five-time All-Star, accepted his role as Boston's sixth man this season after starting every single game in which he appeared for the first 17 years of his career. After Kristaps Porzingis hurt his calf in the fourth game of the playoffs, though, Horford stepped back into the starting lineup. He averaged 9.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per game in the postseason, with a 60.9% true shooting percentage, and Boston outscored its playoff opponents by 11.4 points per 100 possessions with him on the court.
Incredibly, Horford remains one of the game's most versatile bigs. He's comfortable in multiple pick-and-roll coverages, and, while his usage rate has fallen to 11.9% for the last two seasons, he is effective on offense as a floor spacer (he made 42.9% of his catch-and-shoot 3s in 2023-24 and 44.8% in 2022-23), ball mover and handoff hub. In a pinch, Horford can still get a bucket in the post or off the dribble, too.
Horford is owed $9.5 million next season. The extension he signed in December 2022 has been a bargain for the Celtics, and, given how this season ended, it's worked out pretty well for him, too.
