It’s reasonable to assume the Boston Celtics are preparing for life without Al Horford.
Horford is considering two options heading into training camp. The 6-foot-9 NBA champion big man will either retire after 18 seasons or join the Golden State Warriors to end his career.
Considering Horford has made a verbal commitment to the Dubs, the 39-year veteran is destined to team up with Stephen Curry in the Bay for the 2025-26 season.
Boston likely has various replacement candidates for Horford, but on Wednesday, their list shrank. The organization’s 6-foot-10 Summer League Star is no longer in the frontcourt mix, as he recently inked a deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
“The Atlanta Hawks signed center Charles Bassey to an Exhibit 10 deal,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Wednesday. “Bassey played in 36 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes.”
After spending the 2024-25 campaign with the Spurs, Bassey elected to join the Celtics for the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas.
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Bassey, a back-to-the-basket low-post bruiser, averaged 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in three contests, shooting 70.4% from the field.
Although the Western Kentucky product lacks the offensive versatility that's paid dividends for Horford in Boston, there’s no question he could have made a convincing case to earn significant minutes with the Celtics in Year 5.
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