All signs indicate that longtime Boston Celtics center Al Horford has played his final game for the franchise. His two-year contract extension with Boston expired on July 1, and the 39-year-old officially became a free agent. Since then, Horford has yet to sign elsewhere, but league insiders have connected him to the Golden State Warriors all summer long.
Yet, there’s been no movement out in The Bay. Golden State’s contract negotiations with restricted free-agent Jonathan Kuminga have stalled, leaving all remaining dominoes, including Horford, standing upright.
ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater shared an update on Kuminga’s stalemate with the Warriors on Monday, saying, “both [sides] are waiting for the other to blink.”
As part of the report, the duo revealed that Golden State plans to offer Horford their taxpayer mid-level exception, worth just under $5.7 million, once they get Kuminga’s dispute settled.
“They’ve lined up all their other roster targets to pursue after the Kuminga domino falls…The Warriors have planned to at least use their taxpayer midlevel — Al Horford is the target.”
Warriors are in a better position to compete than Celtics are
While many knew Horford’s deal with the Celtics would expire in July, not many feared that he’d leave for greener pastures. He seemed happy to be in Boston playing for the Celtics.
Of course, things can change quickly. Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear shifted the outlook for Boston’s 2025-26 season, and probably made Horford rethink his next contract.
At 39 years old, it makes sense that Horford wouldn’t want to spend what could be his final NBA season playing on a team without legitimate title hopes. By joining Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler in San Francisco, the big man is primed for a run at a second NBA Championship.
Golden State was one of the league’s best teams after acquiring Butler at the trade deadline last February. They logged a record of 23-8 to finish the season, before falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs. Even then, it was a series where they were without Curry, who was sidelined with a hamstring strain.
If the reports of Horford’s intentions are true, then the Warriors should be among the top teams in a loaded Western Conference.
It may sting for Celtics fans to see him suit up for the Dubs, the team that prevented Boston from winning the 2022 NBA title, and alongside Butler, who went to battle with the Cs countless times in the playoffs. But, the Warriors could be a fun team for them to root for with Horford, especially considering the strange position Boston is in this season.