We're long past the discussion of whether Al Horford chose right to leave the Boston Celtics yet again, because from a success standpoint, he didn't. Again. But Horford left in part because he thought Golden State would be better than Boston, as many believed it was in the Celtics' best interest to tank.
TLDR: they went the opposite route. Everything that could have gone Boston's way has, while Golden State's season has gone so far down south that it appears they will do what many thought Boston was going to do. NBA reporter Ramona Shelburne revealed that after everything that has gone wrong for Golden State, their best option is to tank the rest of the season away.
"I would tank. This draft is so good...The way to get better in this league is to get a player in a really high-caliber draft class." 👀
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 23, 2026
- @ramonashelburne on how the Warriors should handle the remainder of the season (via @WillardAndDibs). pic.twitter.com/Ubuupxd0bs
Sound logic for the Warriors, all things considered, but at this stage of his career, this is what Horford was trying to avoid, no? At almost 40 years old, Horford doesn't have any more seasons to waste. Playing for a tanking team was the last thing Horford wanted from this situation.
Tanking could have been on the table for Boston with Jayson Tatum out and the Celtics losing a good chunk of their championship roster to boot. After the first three games, it looked like that was where things were headed for Boston, but fast-forward to March, and it appears that's where things are headed for Golden State instead.
Maybe it would have been different if the Celtics could have offered him the same money the Warriors did (they couldn't), but it's fair to say this was not the situation the ex-Celtics star had in mind when he came to the Bay Area.
Golden State's red flags were there despite a talented roster
Joining a team with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler over a team that looked like it was due for a painful gap year made sense for someone like Horford. The problem is, he was joining a team whose best players were in their mid-to-late 30s, making the foundation flimsy as older are more susceptible.
The worst-case scenario is precisely what happened. Horford joining the Warriors has basically been like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan joining Avengers: Doomsday. He's done his best, but he joined something that was likely doomed to fail.
And it's not like this has suddenly become a problem for the Warriors this year alone. They should have gotten further in the playoffs last year, but didn't because Curry got hurt, which was a pretty good hint that they were falling apart. They pretty much were before getting Butler, as they had trouble keeping their heads above water before Butler turned on Miami, which bailed them out.
Did Boston's situation look any better last summer? No, but it's a shame that Horford opted not to finish his career as a Celtic despite the red flags because the Warriors had those too.
Horford's legacy in Boston is still fantastic overall, but the one blemish on it has been that both times he left, it was not only a bad decision but worse for him than for them. It was bad enough that he wasted two years in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, but wasting the end of his career in Golden State is just sad when he should have spent the entire back half of his career in Boston.