Al Horford just made the final call on his Celtics future

The old adage of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” rang true on Sunday afternoon when Al Horford’s time in Boston officially came to a close. After months of rumors, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that Horford and the Golden State Warriors had agreed on a multi-year deal, ending his second stint with the Celtics.

His exit likely would’ve come sooner if it weren’t for the long and drawn-out contract negotiations between the Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga -- which still have yet to be resolved.

Horford’s seven seasons in Boston were special. The Celtics made deep playoff runs each year, including five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and two to the NBA Finals. Of course, the crowning achievement for Horford was helping bring an 18th championship to the franchise in 2024.

The moment was one of many things that Horford expressed thanks for in his official goodbye to the team and city.

“From the moment we arrived, you have welcomed my family and I with open arms,” Horford wrote in a social media post. “This chapter in my career will hold a special place in my heart. Raising Banner 18 with this city will be a moment I will always cherish. I am forever grateful for the fans and the organization. Thank you, Boston.”

Despite Celtics' roster moves, Al Horford's decision to leave was still tough

Five months ago, what’s now a reality didn’t even feel possible. The Celtics were just kicking off their playoff run with hopes of repeating as champions. A new deal for Horford felt like it’d just be a formality once July rolled around.

Then, Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon, other key contributors like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were traded in salary-shedding moves, and the Celtics weren’t contenders all of a sudden.

According to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, these happenings influenced Horford’s decision.

“A league source confirms that Al Horford has agreed to a deal with the Warriors,” Himmelsbach reported in a post to X. “The source says that Jayson Tatum’s injury and other departures factored into Horford’s final decision, but it was still quite hard for him to leave Boston, which he considers a second home.”

As gutwrenching as the news may be, it makes sense that Horford favored the opportunity to compete with the Warriors over staying in Boston for a “gap year.” The veteran big man only has so many NBA seasons left; he’s got to make the most of them. This also shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Brad Stevens all but confirmed that Horford had played his final game with Boston earlier this summer, when rumors of mutual interest between Golden State and Horford first surfaced.

“We made offers to both Luke [Kornet] and Al,” Stevens told the media back in July, via CLNS. “We would’ve loved to have had both of them back. I would say that’s unlikely. The only reason I haven’t talked about Al is because it’s not final. I could probably talk about Al for my whole press conference and not say enough. But, I don’t want to speak in absolute terms until an ultimate decision is made.”

Horford appeared in 584 total games for the Celtics across his two stints (2016-19, and 2021-25). Fans will get to see him again on Mar. 18 when the Warriors make their lone trip to TD Garden.