Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said it’s “highly unlikely” that the 39-year-old center will return to Boston when asked at a Tuesday press conference.

Horford is reportedly considering offers from the Warriors and Lakers, while the Nuggets are also rumored to have interest. His departure would represent another hit to the Celtics’ frontcourt, which has already lost Kornet to San Antonio in free agency and Kristaps Porzingis via trade.

If Horford does decide to play, the Golden State Warriors are the favorites to land him, according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein. The Los Angeles Lakers were also in the running for Horford, but signing centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes earlier this summer likely takes them out of the running.

The Celtics have lost several key players from their 2024 championship core this offseason. Al Horford was expected to join the list of players who were traded/signed elsewhere, but recently was predicted to possibly return to Boston, after it seemed unlikely for weeks.

It was also on this date in 2009 that four-time All-Star Rasheed Wallace signed with the Celtics. The former UNC standout played one season with Boston before retiring for two seasons. He averaged 9 points, 4.1 boards, an assist, and a steal per game.

The Denver Nuggets have had a pretty impressive offseason. Since it began, Denver has acquired Cameron Johnson for Michael Porter Jr., brought back Bruce Brown, and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. They also traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas, but there's been a problem.

Renowned NBA analyst Bill Simmons has reported that Al Horford to the Golden State Warriors is a "foregone conclusion"