Arguably no one on the Celtics’ roster is happier about Boston reaching the NBA Finals than Al Horford.
For starters, this marks the first trip to basketball’s biggest stage for the 35-year-old who is playing in his 15th season in the league. But thanks to a fortuitous contract negotiation, Horford on Sunday locked down an impending boost to his bank account.
Horford’s guaranteed salary for the 2022-23 season swelled from $14.5 million to $19.5 million via the Celtics winning the Eastern Conference. That number will ascend all the way to $26.5 million if Boston is able to take down the Golden State Warriors and win the 18th championship in the franchise’s history.
As such, one might think a Finals win would present the Celtics with a very tough decision to make on Horford. To put that potential salary-cap number into perspective, franchise cornerstone Jaylen Brown is set to make just north of $28 million next season. But according to MassLive’s Brian Robb, Brad Stevens and company already have made up their minds about Horford regardless of how the Celtics fare against the Warriors.
“Horford will get the full $26.5 million in his contract guaranteed if the Celtics win the NBA Finals,” Robb wrote in a column published Monday. “However, the veteran big man will not need to wait that long to secure that big number. League sources tell MassLive that the Celtics are expected to bring Horford back and guarantee the full $26.5 million no matter what happens in the NBA Finals after a sensational regular season by the 35-year-old followed up by one of the best postseasons of his career.”
As it stands, oddsmakers don’t see Horford tacking on another $7 million to his 2022-23 salary. Two days ahead of Game 1 at Chase Center, the Warriors are favored at DraftKings Sportbook to win the Finals.
