Celtics May Have Found Perfect Replacement For Al Horford

Matt Levine | Mar 30, 2025

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are looking to repeat as NBA champions this season, and they believe they have a great chance to make it happen. Boston has been one of the best teams in the NBA once again this season, and if healthy, they will be favorites to win it all.

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But there are some looming questions around the roster going forward. Center Al Horford is older and could be playing in the final year of his career.

If Horford were to retire, the Celtics would need to fill his production with another player. However, they should look no further than center Luka Kornet, who is already on the roster.

Kornet has been growing his game of late and is proving that he deserves a chance with this team. On the season, he has averaged 5.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game.

The biggest part of Kornet's game that could have Boston give him more playing time is his consistency. From game to game, the Celtics know what they'll get from the big man, giving the coaching staff some peace of mind.

If the Celtics were to give him a bigger role, it could serve them well. But with Horford in the mix right now, it's hard to hand out all the needed minutes.

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But Horford has talked about retirement coming down the line, potentially opening the door for Kornet. Kornet will be a free agent this summer, so Boston would need to retain him, but the two sides seem to enjoy the pairing together.

It remains to be seen what it would cost the Celtics to keep Kornet around, but the continuity could come in handy. This Boston team is looking to make a legacy, and having a core group of players together is one of the better ways to make that happen.

For this season, the Celtics could benefit from giving Kornet some extra minutes with the postseason coming up. Horford showed last year that he couldn't always guard players in the postseason so Boston could look to Kornet to help out.

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