Al Horford

Al Horford Explains Celtics Exit, Hopes To Retire With Warriors

October 14th, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

After returning to the Celtics for a second stint in 2021, Al Horford seemed like he was on track to spend the rest of his NBA playing career in Boston. However, at age 39, the veteran big man decided this summer to leave the Celtics because “they just weren’t in a position to offer me the opportunity that I wanted,” he explained to Nick Friedell of The Athletic.

After winning a title in 2023/24 and racking up 61 more regular season wins in ’24/25, the Celtics are expected to take step backward in ’25/26 as a result of Jayson Tatum‘s postseason Achilles tear, as well as financially motivated offseason trades involving Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Due to its desire to shed salary, the club also wasn’t in position to offer free agents like Luke Kornet and Horford the kind of contracts they’d earned.

“There was two things there,” Horford said. “I think the financial part was a component, but more than that, it was the winning part of it, trying to contend for a championship. And I think there was a lot of things up in the air — and it just felt like they weren’t in the same, that same vision, obviously, because JT getting hurt, that takes a big toll. So I think at that point I really had to — up until then I was staying in Boston the whole time.

“… I think once that offseason happened and it started to progress, it became clear to me the team had different priorities. Obviously, getting rid of Jrue, getting rid of Kristaps. And I know it’s all salary stuff, but it was like a domino effect, and it was tough for me. It was a tough decision, but my wife and I, we prayed about it. I knew that it had to be something that was gonna be — that my family had to be on board with me for us to proceed in something like this. And that was it.”

Horford ended up signing with the Warriors on a two-year contract worth the full taxpayer mid-level exception that includes a second-year player option and a 15% trade kicker.

While the deal didn’t officially get done until October 1 due to Golden State’s desire to resolve Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency before hard-capping itself at the second tax apron, Horford knew much earlier in the summer that he’d become a Warrior. He tells Friedell that recruiting pitches from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green played a role in his decision.

“Yeah, I had communication with them, with Steph and Draymond,” Horford said. “And that was important. It happened very fast because it was at a point where they came to me and they’re like, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you,’ and all these things. And it was one of these things that, for me, looking at this fit and the potential, it just felt right. So them reaching out to me was important.”

Given the fact that his new contract includes a second year, Horford may still have multiple seasons left in the NBA. Still, his hope for now is that he’s able to finish his career in Golden State.

“I think at this point in my career, where I see everything, that is my expectation, just to be here,” he said.

Warriors Notes: Starting Lineup, Moody, Kuminga, Podziemski

October 11th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr is intrigued by the starting lineup he used in Wednesday’s victory over Portland and wants to see it in action again before the preseason ends, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). After going with a small-ball approach in the preseason opener while bringing Al Horford off the bench in his Golden State debut, Kerr made Horford a starter against the Trail Blazers along with Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

“That could be a really powerful combo,” Kerr said. “I didn’t have a great sense of it after the game because I was thinking so much of our turnovers and our lack of focus at times during the first half. But looking at the tape, it was a lot better than I expected for those first seven minutes or so.”

Kerr likes having more size on the court to start the game, especially with Horford, who shoots well enough from three-point range to give everyone else plenty of room to operate. The group only played together for a little more than half of the first quarter before Kerr began making substitutions, and the veterans rested in the second half.

“You can tell with all the different lineups, we know that there’s still going to be a lot to work on in terms of the chemistry and just the certain combinations,” Curry said. “That’s part of the journey of training camp. But I just like the vibe and the intentionality that we’re all coming with, understanding that we need to get off to a good start. And trying to make that happen.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

That starting group won’t be together on Sunday when Golden State faces the Lakers, Gordon adds. Kerr said Saturday that Butler has an excused personal absence for the game, while Curry and Horford will be held out. Green will start alongside Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Quinten Post, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
Moody was set to undergo an MRI on Saturday for a calf issue, Slater tweets. Kerr said it’s believed to be minor, but the imaging is being done as a precaution.
Kuminga and Podziemski come from different parts of the world and had polar opposite experiences as children, but they find themselves in the same position of competing for larger roles with the Warriors, observes Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). Kuminga, who grew up in the Congo, tends to be calm and peaceful while looking the part of an NBA star, Jenkins states. Podziemski is much more of an extrovert after years of having to prove himself against elite competition.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Kerr, Podziemski, Horford

October 11th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency saga was finally resolved on September 30, when the 23-year-old forward re-signed with the Warriors on a two-year, $46.8MM deal. Despite the lengthy negotiations and a contract that could make him a prime trade candidate, Kuminga tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he’s “at peace” with his situation and doesn’t feel any anxiety about the future.

“I don’t think about things like that. I let the day just tell us what’s going to happen,” Kuminga said. “But when it comes to future stuff and things like that, no. I don’t worry about things like that. I just try to get better. You never know with this life. It’s the NBA. One day you’re going to be here. One day you’re going to be somewhere else.

“The biggest thing about it is just to work and just get better every day and be a winner. No matter where I’ll be, no matter if I’m going to be here or they might ship me somewhere else. I just want to get to wherever I’ll get, or be here and just be involved and win and impact right away. That is my biggest concern. I’m at that point now where I’ve got a couple years in now. So, I know what’s right and what is not right.”

Kuminga acknowledged some frustration with the way his role has fluctuated during his time with Golden State and said he doesn’t plan to bring the topic up with head coach Steve Kerr. For his part, Kerr still believes Kuminga can be an important piece for the Warriors, according to Spears.

“It’s been an interesting fit,” Kerr told Andscape. “He’s made it pretty clear that he wants the ball and an opportunity that a lot of his cohorts get and people that were drafted near him. And we weren’t able to offer that. We were a championship team. We won the title his rookie year (2021/22) and have been in the mix the last few years. So, it’s been tough. I respect the fact that he is competing and fighting in a set of circumstances that maybe isn’t ideal for him. But the thing I keep telling him is he can play a role for us, absolutely, with his size, speed and athleticism.

“He can play an important role on a very good team. He just turned 23 (on Monday). He has plenty of basketball ahead. One day, hopefully, he will look back on this as a valuable time in his career. But I know he’s frustrated. He’s made it very clear publicly. I don’t mind that, but I want him to embrace the idea that he can be a part of something special.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

As he enters his third season, guard Brandin Podziemski hopes to take major strides in multiple aspects of his game, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. In order to do so, Podziemski knows he’ll have to do a better job of regulating his emotions. “There’s a next step in evolving emotionally, and as a leader,” Podziemski told The Athletic. “Having confidence from your teammates is one thing, especially the vets, but them trusting you in big moments that could define their career. Could add another piece to their career. For them to have trust in you is a different thing, and you got to earn that over time, and I think that’s a goal of mine going into this season.”
Veteran center Al Horford has quickly developed impressive chemistry with two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Friedell adds in another story. “It’s a level of awareness that I’ve never really had to think about before,” Horford said of playing with Curry. “But when I’m on the floor with him, the whole mindset is trying to make the game easier for him. And for me, that is either getting him the ball, or setting a good screen, or doing anything that I can to make sure that our offense moves and flows. He’s such a smart player that it’s easy to play off of him. And sometimes he’ll kind of tell you what to do. He passed me that ball, but I knew that he was gonna cut, so I guess that’s the unspoken (chemistry) he’s talking about right there. He expected me to pass the ball and I did.”
Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team. Kerr believes USA Basketball made a great choice, per Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points (Twitter video link; hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “Spo’s an incredible, phenomenal coach. Watching him the last two summers, getting to know him up close… Spo was the perfect choice.”

Western Notes: THJ, Horford, Kuminga, R. Williams

October 7th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Although three or four teams reached out to convey their interest in him early in free agency, Tim Hardaway Jr. was drawn to the Nuggets in part because J.J. Barea and Jared Dudley were joining David Adelman‘s coaching staff, as he tells Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Hardaway played alongside Barea with the Mavericks from 2019-20, while Dudley was a Mavs assistant coach during three of Hardaway’s years in Dallas.

“It gives you more confidence (having Dudley and Barea on staff), just because they understand your style of play,” Hardaway said. “They reiterate that to the rest of the coaching staff. I mean, Jared Dudley was my assistant coach in Dallas for years, so he knows what I can do on and off the floor for the team.”

Hardaway made 77 starts in Detroit last season and hasn’t averaged fewer than 26.8 minutes per game in a season since 2015/16. He also hasn’t earned less than $16MM in a season since ’16/17. This year in Denver, he’s on a minimum-salary contract and will likely be part of the Nuggets’ second unit. However, he’s embracing the opportunity to play for a championship contender and wants to set an example for his younger teammates who may end up playing lesser roles.

“I’ve realized throughout my career, sulking and being upset about something, it’s just being an energy-drainer at that point,” Hardaway told Durando. “So just coming in there, letting those guys understand if they’re having rough days, bad days, (my job is) lifting them up, if I have to take them to dinner, (or) if I have to get the team all out together.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Al Horford‘s two-year contract with the Warriors, which is worth the full taxpayer mid-level exception and includes a second-year player option, also features a 15% trade kicker, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Horford will become trade-eligible on January 1, three months after he officially signed with Golden State.
Within a look at Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga as an in-season trade candidate, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) observes that even though Golden State is right up against a hard cap and will have to account for Kuminga’s trade kicker, the lack of base year compensation restrictions will make it easier to move him during the season than it would have been in a sign-and-trade. For instance, the Warriors wouldn’t have been able to take back Malik Monk in a sign-and-trade with Sacramento without sending out another player, but a straight-up deal involving those two players (plus draft assets) would be cap-legal now.
Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams still hasn’t been cleared for contact, head coach Chauncey Billups said on Monday, but he has been taking part in non-contact work and the team is “very happy” with the progress he has made (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report). Health issues have limited Williams to 26 total outings since he was traded to Portland two years ago.

Warriors Notes: Horford, Curry, Green, Butler

October 6th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Al Horford provided a glimpse of what he can offer the Warriors as he made his preseason debut in Sunday’s win over the Lakers, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. The 39-year-old big man posted three points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal in 14 minutes, and Golden State was +13 in his time on the court. Horford looks like a seamless addition, and his teammates are excited to have him in the lineup.

“Obviously has a high IQ,” Stephen Curry said. “An experienced, championship-caliber player that can fit with any lineup out there. He gives us space. He gives us presence on the defensive end. You saw the pass he made to me out of the corner on the give-and-go. There’s just an unspoken chemistry that will continue to get better. He’s multidimensional as a five-man. Excited to see what that looks like for me, for Jimmy (Butler), for (Jonathan Kuminga) and Draymond (Green). Any lineup, you can throw him out there at the five and he lifts the group.”

Horford wasn’t used as a starter on Sunday, but he entered the game quickly after Moses Moody picked up three early fouls. Poole states that he still projects as the team’s starting center and will almost certainly be in the closing lineup. The Celtics took a cautious approach with Horford last season, limiting him to 60 games and not using him both nights of back-to-backs, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr plans to handle him the same way.

“We have to preserve all our older guys as best we can to have them ready for the playoffs. That’s the idea,” Kerr said. “But no question, he’s still got it. He’s incredible player. Great fit for us.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr gave limited playing time to his veterans in the preseason opener, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Curry, Green, Butler and Horford all played 15 minutes or less and were out of the game by halftime. Curry looked to be in midseason form already, scoring 14 points while shooting 5-of-7 from the field and sinking three three-pointers.
Kerr began the game with a small lineup using Green at center, but he told reporters that may not be the plan for the regular season (Twitter video link from Anthony Slater of ESPN). “It doesn’t mean Draymond is going to be logging heavy minutes at the five,” Kerr said.
Butler was thrown into the fire of a playoff race when the Warriors traded for him in February, states Ann Killion of The San Francisco Chronicle. He expects to benefit from having the offseason and a full training camp with the team. “I get to do this thing from day one,” he said. “Be with the guys from day one and do what we started out to do. … I’m super hyped and I’m super excited. We’re going to have to go out there and produce and get it done. We know that. But we are just so joyful. We’re so happy to be able to compete with one another, and do what we set out to do. Do what I want to do for the first time — win a championship. I smile knowing that it’s a really great chance for us.”

Western Notes: Topic, Rockets, Podziemski, Suns

October 5th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The rotation the Thunder use this fall will look awfully similar to the one that won a championship earlier in the year, but there could be one notable new addition. Nikola Topic, the 2024 lottery pick who missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, has impressed his teammates in training camp as he makes a bid for regular playing time, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscription required).

“It really stands out the way he sees the game,” Chet Holmgren said of the Serbian point guard. “Even without the ball in his hands, the way he cuts and finds open space. Sees plays up ahead of him and gets the ball out of his hands early. It’s impressive for a young guy, but that’s what got him noticed in the first place is his ability to see and read the game.”

Teammate Jaylin Williams also expressed admiration for Topic’s court vision and awareness: “You can see he really reads the game. Great passer, great facilitator out there.”

All 12 players who averaged at least 16 minutes per game for the Thunder last season are still on the roster, and all 12 except for Kenrich Williams (knee surgery) are healthy, so it remains to be seen whether Topic will be able to crack the regular season rotation.

However, he should get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do during Oklahoma City’s preseason schedule, which tips off on Sunday, Mussatto notes. According to head coach Mark Daigneault (Twitter video link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer), several of the Thunder’s top players didn’t travel to South Carolina for Sunday’s preseason opener, the first game in a back-to-back set.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

The Rockets will likely deploy different starting lineups during the preseason as head coach Ime Udoka gets a feel for how certain groups look in game settings, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Udoka also said that forward Tari Eason and center Steven Adams will sit out Wednesday’s game vs. Utah after playing on Monday vs. Atlanta for precautionary reasons. Both players returned last season from major injuries.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about a variety of topics, including how he’d evaluate his 2024/25 season, what he focused on this offseason, and why he thinks incorporating newcomers like Al Horford will make for a “seamless transition.”
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic shares his key takeaways from the Suns‘ victory over the Lakers in their preseason opener on Friday, including the fact that second-year wing Ryan Dunn started as the team’s de facto power forward.

Warriors Notes: Seth Curry, Injury Risks, Butler, Jackson-Davis, Podziemski

October 4th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

At a news conference following Thursday’s practice, Seth Curry explained why he decided to join the Warriors after resisting the idea of teaming up with older brother Stephen Curry throughout his career, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Seth told reporters that he was trying to “create my own path” in the NBA, and playing in his brother’s shadow would have interfered with that.

Coach Steve Kerr agreed with that reasoning, saying it would have been awkward to have both brothers on the team earlier in their careers.

“I don’t know if the timing was right (for Seth to join us) over recent years,” Kerr said. “We probably didn’t have playing time for him. He was in a place where he was going to teams and playing a lot, making money. It just feels like (Stephen and Seth are) both at a point in their careers where this makes a ton of sense. I’m thrilled to have Seth.”

While Steph became a legend in the Bay Area, the younger Curry faced a different journey, working his way up through the G League and playing for nine teams over the past 11 years. He has been a deadly outside shooter wherever he has gone, and Gordon notes that his career percentage of 43.3% from beyond the arc is slightly better than his brother, who is considered possibly the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history.

Seth holds a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, and he’s expected to be waived before the start of the regular season. The plan is for him to rejoin the team at some point during the season on a pro-rated veteran’s minimum deal due to the Warriors’ hard-cap situation.

“Everybody’s excited about it,” he said. “Instead of watching more games, it should be just easier to watch my game, which is easier on everybody. Everybody is excited about it, except maybe my dad (Dell Curry). He didn’t want me to leave Charlotte.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Golden State will likely become the first team in NBA history with four starters who are at least 35 years old, so Kerr will have to be cognizant of playing time to minimize injuries, Gordon states in a separate story. Thirty-nine-year-old Al Horford joins Stephen Curry (37), Jimmy Butler (36) and Draymond Green (35), and the team has reserves Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield who will both turn 33 during the season. “We don’t want to be in a position where you’re chasing (a playoff berth) down the stretch of the season,” Curry said. “It felt like every game was a playoff game for two straight months and then you transition into a very tough seven-game series and then you’re 48 hours from a round two, Game 1. It was a very condensed high level of basketball.”
Butler missed practice Friday and Saturday while recovering from a rolled ankle and Kerr considers him a “question mark” for Sunday’s preseason opener, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Trayce Jackson-Davis has a taped right thumb and is also considered questionable.
Brandin Podziemski was used as a starter at Thursday’s practice, but Kerr said nothing has been decided yet, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).

Celtics Notes: Brown, Mazzulla, Gonzalez, Horford

October 4th, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum‘s injury and the departure of several veteran players forced Celtics star Jaylen Brown to take on a larger leadership role, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Brown typically travels during the summer, Washburn notes, but he spent more time in Boston this year in an effort to bond with his new teammates.

“It’s a little bit sad, a lot of the guys I spent a lot of time with, we had such a great group over the last couple of years,” he said. “To see them not be around anymore obviously is going to have an effect on our team, but we have five new players we’ve got to get on board and acclimated into the system. And I’m trying to expedite that chemistry building, that trust building so you guys can see a good product when we get to the floor. But some of that stuff takes time — it doesn’t happen overnight — but I’m looking forward to it.”

Mentoring may not seem like a natural role to anyone who watched Brown closely during his first nine NBA seasons, Washburn adds. Brown often projected a hard exterior, but he said he’s found “a different level of peace” at this point in his career, and Washburn observes that he seems to be smiling and enjoying himself more than in the past.

“I would say a lot of times I felt like I had to operate a certain way to protect myself, and it was kind of the way I felt like I had to be in order not to lose my mind a little bit,” Brown said. “But I feel like I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I’m at peace, and I feel like I can express more of myself to the world in a sense where I just haven’t opened up in the last (several) years. More so showing the world who Jaylen Brown is.”

There’s more from Boston:

Assistant coach Sam Cassell said the start of training camp has been the most difficult he’s seen since he entered the NBA 34 years ago, but head coach Joe Mazzulla disputes that description, Washburn states in a separate story. “Everything in this world today is recency bias,” Mazzulla said. “Every time is this is the best ever. We don’t remember the way we felt last year or two years ago or three years ago. That’s just a classic recency bias of whatever you’re going through right now is the biggest, the best, the most important, the hardest, the easiest. None of that really matters. It depends on where you’re at in the moment.”
Picking up team concepts and strategy has been difficult for first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez because he speaks limited English, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. The former Real Madrid guard said the coaches have been patient as he tries to learn the language. “We’re going really, really deep now in these practices and also in the training camp that we’ve got,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going deep in the details. I think that apart from the basics, they are the most important thing. We’re going into detail on every single situation so that when we are in the game and we’ve got that situation, we can handle it in the best way possible so we can succeed on defense.”
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of The Boston Globe examines whether the Celtics should have tried harder to keep Al Horford, who will only make about $5.7MM this season with Golden State. Robb points out that Boston was disadvantaged by its need to avoid the repeater tax, which would cause a $5MM contract to cost close to $20MM with penalties factored in.

Warriors Notes: Horford, Kuminga, Melton, Dunleavy

October 1st, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now that his contract with the Warriors is finally official, Al Horford was able to shed some light on his free agency decision during an introductory news conference on Wednesday, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Horford told reporters that he didn’t feel ready to retire and that Golden State seemed like the obvious place to go if he had to find a new team.

“It’s a great opportunity to compete and to win at a high level,” he said. “When I think about the Warriors, I think about (Stephen Curry) and Draymond (Green) and Steve Kerr and seeing Jimmy Butler here. What he did in that second half of the season last year after the trade and how they’re playing. It wasn’t an easy decision for me to leave Boston, but if there was the place, that was this one, and it happened and I happened to give this opportunity, so I jumped at it.”

When free agency began at the end of June, Horford never imagined that his next contract wouldn’t be signed until October. He reportedly committed to the Warriors early on, but nothing could be completed until the team resolved its standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.

“It was definitely a very odd offseason, just kind of waiting and waiting and seeing what’s going to happen, seeing what’s going to take place,” Horford said. “So just my whole focus was on my training and preparing myself and making sure that I was in the best place for when the season started.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr isn’t concerned that Kuminga might create a distraction in the locker room after having to accept a team option in his new two-year contract, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Kerr said he contacted Kuminga “quite a bit” during the summer, and they’ll have a conversation about how things worked out when he reports to camp. “I’ve known JK for four years now,” Kerr said. “He’s not that guy to come in and tear a team down.”
De’Anthony Melton isn’t upset that the Warriors traded him to Brooklyn last December after he suffered an ACL tear early in the season, relays Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter video link). “Business is business,” he said. “I probably would have traded myself too.” Melton added that he decided to return because he enjoyed his brief experience with the team and he likes the medical staff.
It took a long time to assemble, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is gleeful about his current roster, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “We’ve got everything signed, sealed, delivered roster-wise and (we’re) pretty excited about this group, about this season,” he said. “(We) feel like we made some really good additions and obviously have some really good key returning players as well as some young guys that we think will be able to take a step. The main thing here is the team we put together, we feel like will be in the mix this season.”

Al Horford Signs With Warriors

October 1st, 2025 at 11:20am CST by Rory Maher

October 1: With Kuminga signed, the Warriors have now officially locked up Horford as well, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Horford’s deal is a two-year contract worth the taxpayer mid-level exception that includes a player option on year two. The deal should have a total value of $11.65MM.

September 28: Free agent big man Al Horford has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors, agent Jason Glushon tells Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, Horford will be Golden State’s starting center as he enters his 19th NBA season.

As ESPN’s Anthony Slater tweets, the Warriors targeted Horford early on in free agency, and just before training camp is set to begin, he has officially committed to signing a multiyear deal. The exact terms of Horford’s contract are still up in the air due to Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency, Slater adds.

A source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) that Jayson Tatum‘s torn Achilles tendon and the departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis played a role in Horford’s decision to leave the Celtics after spending seven of the past nine years with the franchise, including winning a title in 2024. But it was still a difficult call to leave Boston, according to Himmelsbach, as Horford considers the city a second home.

Horford posted a thank you message (via Twitter) to both the organization and the city of Boston.

As Charania writes, the Warriors view Horford as an “ideal fit” next to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green due to his “size, floor-spacing, passing and defensive instincts.” Despite being 39 years old, Horford remains a stout and versatile defender, Charania notes.

According to Charania, Horford mulled retirement before committing to the Warriors, the team he had been linked to throughout the offseason.

A 6’9″ forward/center from the Dominican Republic, Horford was selected No. 3 overall in the 2007 draft following three standout years at Florida, having won back-to-back national championships with the Gators. He has been a strong NBA player for essentially his entire career, making five All-Star appearances, one All-NBA team, and one All-Defensive team.

Horford’s teams have also been highly successful, making several trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was part of the Celtics club that lost to Golden State in the 2022 NBA Finals before helping Boston break through with its 18th title — and first since 2008 — in 2024.

De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II are also expected to sign with the Warriors in the coming days, with Curry’s younger brother Seth Curry another player who has been linked to Golden State. The Warriors have a pair of unsigned second-round picks (Wil l Richard and Alex Toohey) as well, plus a qualifying offer out to two-way RFA Taran Armstrong.

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