The Celtics Future Becomes a Mystery? Veteran Horford May Say Goodbye Boston, Knicks Become a Popular Next Home

On June 2, heavy rumors came from outside the NBA. According to the well-known American writer Tim Bontemps, as Celtics core Jason Tatum suffered an Achilles tendon injury, the team's future prospects for the championship have become unclear, and the lineup structure is full of uncertainty. In this case, veteran center Al Horford, who has played for many years, is considered "unlikely" to return to Boston next season. As soon as the news came out, speculation about the future where the experienced veteran was going immediately heated up. Among them, the New York Knicks are seen as a very strong contender. Bontenpus specifically pointed out that Horford has a deep personal friendship with Knicks star Carl Anthony Towns. The two have been playing side by side in the Dominican Republic national team for a long time and have been friends for many years.

Although there is no report on formal negotiations between the two sides, the Knicks' strong competitiveness this season's playoffs (they reached the Eastern Conference Finals), coupled with the "attraction" of the friend Towns, undoubtedly makes the Knicks a very important potential choice for Horford in the free agent market. For a veteran like Horford, joining a team with a fast-paced upward momentum, clear goals and good friends may be more attractive than staying in the future with a unclear plan.

Horford's contract with the Celtics will officially expire this summer and he will become a full free agent. This season's regular season, the 38-year-old veteran played 60 games for the Celtics, averaging 9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. In the playoffs, he played in 11 games, averaging 8 points, 6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, and is still an important part of the team's inside rotation.

As the date of opening the free market approaches, whether Horford chooses to stay in the familiar Boston to face the unknown, or to go to New York to join forces with his friend Towns to strive for a new goal will become a major highlight of the player market this summer.