Report: Al Horford expected to leave Celtics for new team

The Boston Celtics’ offseason is not going at all the way Danny Ainge envisioned.

Al Horford had been talking with the Celtics about signing a 3-year deal to remain with the team, but The Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett says he is expected to leave to sign a four-year deal elsewhere.

Major change in the Al Horford situation:
Per source close to Horford, his side is no longer discussing a new 3-year deal to stay with the Celtics. He is expected to sign a 4-year free agent contract elsewhere…
Story to come.

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) June 18, 2019

It’s unclear whether this is a ploy by Horford’s camp to get Boston to sweeten a contract offer or whether another team has expressed to him that they would give him a four-year deal. It could also just be that the Celtics know if Irving leaves, paying Horford big money long term wouldn’t make sense at his age and where their core is.

Horford signed a four-year, $133 million deal with the Celtics prior to the 2016-2017 season and declined his $30.1 million player option for next season. He is 33 years old and probably believes this will be his last chance at another long-term deal before he retires.

Now the Celtics, which seemed to have too many players last season, will now likely be without Kyrie Irving and Horford next season. On top of that, they lost out on Anthony Davis, who is being traded to the Lakers.