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The Boston Celtics will have some tough decisions to make at the end of the season, with a couple of their core rotation set to hit free agency – both restricted and unrestricted.
Al Horford is entering the final year of his $109 million contract and will be free to discuss terms with any team in the league once the free agency period opens. However, Horford has been here before, and leaving Boston didn’t turn out the way he had hoped previously, so that might factor into his decision-making process.
However, according to an Eastern Conference Executive, who spoke with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the plan is to retain Horford for the remainder of his career.
“The intention as far as what most of us have heard is Al is going to retire in Boston. Now, if you can use him to get a high-level star? Maybe that changes. But they do not want to move off of him unless there is a really significant opportunity,” The executive said.
Last season, Horford was an inspiring force for the Celtics and ended the season with averages of 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 33.6% from deep and 58.2% from inside the perimeter. This year, under interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, it looks as though the Celtics could be leaning into Horford’s playmaking abilities a little more, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in a higher usage role.
Grant Williams is Heading Into Unrestricted Free Agency
On October 17, one of the Celtics’ biggest off-season questions finally got answered – Grant Williams did not sign a contract extension and will now be heading into unrestricted free agency next summer.
As a restricted free agent, the Celtics will be able to match any offer sheet that Williams signs with another team, but it does mean that they’re banking on their valuation of the fourth-year forward, rather than what he may have been asking for during negotiations.
Of course, if Williams can sustain the impressive form he showed last season, and he shows growth in key areas such as attacking close-outs, then there’s no reason to believe Boston wouldn’t be willing to match any offers – after all, Williams has long been viewed as the team’s long-term replacement for Horford.
Williams is Growing Into a Leader
During the Celtics’ final pre-season game against the Toronto Raptors on October 14, there was a moment of madness that saw Jayson Tatum get ejected, Williams receive a technical foul, and the Celtics get a technical foul for a delay of game.
Speaking to the media after the game, Williams discussed how the Celtics should use that moment as a learning curve, and learn to control their emotions in preparation for the upcoming season.
“I told the refs to referee the game and not their emotions…It’s pre-season, you can’t get mad at the officials for that. We’re looking forward, we’re not looking at those plays, it doesn’t matter that much in a pre-season game. We’ve got to control our emotions better, and we’ve gotta do a better job of understanding situations…This is what the pre-season is all about, you’ve gotta learn and understand your mistakes, and I think that’s something we will improve on and not carry into the new season,” Williams said.
