Caitlin Clark got hurt. It couldn’t have come at a worse time—for the NBA.
Imagine a summer in which your top viewing options are U.S. soccer games against Ireland and Guatemala, a guy named Misiorowski pitching for the Brewers, and Aaron Rodgers stretching at minicamp.
And unfortunately, not in that order.
That puts a lot of pressure on the NBA, which in recent years has tried to own the summer with an NFL-style offseason playbook.
It’s beefed up draft coverage, turned free agency into a scoop-driven frenzy, and hyped summer league as a chance to get to know a bunch of undrafted players you ignored when their games actually mattered six months ago.
Well, the draft was so boring, Stephen A. Smith had to be brought in just to loudly declare the Phoenix Suns are in disarray. (Gee, you think?)
A snoozy draft rolls into a summer league in need of a snooze button. No wonder NBA TV is going out of business.
That leaves free agency. And yes, there were some pre-July 4 fireworks: Kevin Durant landed in Houston, Kristaps Porziņģis limped into Atlanta, Deandre Ayton (wait, he’s not retired?) is now Luka Dončić’s backup plan, and Myles Turner bailed on the Pacers.
Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr., Jordan Poole for CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday, Desmond Bane for a bag of first-round picks—let’s be honest: most of these moves were just body-shuffling. Did anyone actually get better?
OK, maybe the Rockets did. And a few other teams (looking at you, Atlanta) that don’t really matter. Have you seen what the Hornets are doing? Wow.
But here’s the truth: Every team in the East not named Indiana feels better today solely because the conference’s top dog, the Celtics, essentially waved a white flag on the 2025-26 season. And every team in the West not named Phoenix has more bounce in its step after the champs looked awfully beatable in the Finals.
The doors to the NBA title hardware store have been left so wide open … the Knicks are dreaming of LeBron, the Bucks are hugging Giannis, and the Warriors … well, we’re still not sure what they’re doing.
And that’s terrifying.
Forget about LeBron. The Celtics aren’t trading Jaylen Brown. Damian Lillard is treating this season like a sabbatical. But there is one player out there who could make 15 teams instant contenders—or take existing contenders up a level.
Al Horford.
It’s fitting the Celtics’ symbolic white flag might have a green “42” stitched into it. This overly proud franchise would be one banner short without the steadying presence of the NBA’s most underappreciated star.
All Horford has done over the past four seasons in Boston is prop up Jayson Tatum’s All-NBA illusion. (You saw what happened when Tatum went to Paris last summer and left Horford behind like a forgotten toothbrush.)
While playing center, Horford has drained 456 threes in four years—about 400 of those becoming assists for Tatum, helping earn him the Doris Burke honorary “Does All The Little Things” badge.
And Horford’s hit them at a 39.2 percent clip. For comparison, Tatum shot 35.5 percent when he tried doing it all himself.
That’s a dependable—and clutch—floor-spacer on one end of the floor. And it’s not even his best end.
Even at 6-foot-9, Horford remains one of the best big-man defenders in the league. Before every game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had the luxury of assigning Horford to the opposing team’s most dangerous scorer. Tatum, meanwhile, got to stand next to the rim and rebound uncontested misses. (And still got an All-Defense vote.)
If Horford could make Boston great again … imagine what he’d do for Golden State.
He and Draymond Green would build a defensive wall that not even Olajuwon and Sampson could scale. And more importantly, Horford—not Draymond—would be launching the 246 threes Green hoisted last year with Tatum-like efficiency.
Horford. Green. Butler. Curry. Go ahead and count out the Thunder.
Actually, don’t. Oklahoma City could wake from its offseason nap and join the Horford sweepstakes. That’s another benefit of the 39-year-old who’s made $280 million in his career—he doesn’t need a max contract.
Just buy him a ring.
He could absorb the inevitable broken bone from Chet Holmgren during the 2026 playoffs, filling in for the potential dynasty that crumbles without him.
The Lakers are interested in Horford. Of course they are. He could mentor Wemby, babysit Anthony Davis, anchor Joel Embiid, revive the Heat, calm the Clippers … he might even be able to make Karl-Anthony Towns smarter.
Or maybe Horford stays in Boston out of loyalty. But if that happens, the Celtics might as well lower the Jolly Roger.
One man holds disproportionate power in the NBA right now. Call him the male Caitlin Clark—with a way more reliable jumper.
