Al Horford is waiting for the stalemate between the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to end. When that happens, Horford can finally sign on to team with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.
While Kuminga would love a fresh start and a more lucrative contract, the most likely outcome is that he returns to Golden State. That could be on a one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer, or on a two-year $45 million proposal the Warriors have put on the table, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. It's also possible they tweak the latter pitch to ease tensions.
Beyond an understanding established between them and Horford, there's clarity on what type of arrangement he'll join Golden State on. Once matters with Kuminga get settled, Siegel reports that Horford is expected to sign a two-year deal with a player option.
That would give the 18-year veteran a path to playing into his 40s. The Dominican native turned 39 in June. The five-time All-Star remains impactful at both ends of the floor.
Horford averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and nearly 1.0 blocks in the 2024-25 campaign. He also converted on 36.3 percent of the 5.2 threes he attempted.
That also doesn't do much to capture what he still provides on defense, whether as the lone big man on the floor or while working in tandem with another player who fits that description.
Furthermore, it doesn't highlight what the soon-to-be former Boston Celtic provides as a leader. He is a model example to follow. That figures to have a lasting impact on his new teammates, just as it did those who shared a locker room with him in Boston.
Second-year center Quinten Post is in a position to be among the people who benefit the most from learning from Horford and observing his daily approach to taking care of his body and sharpening his craft.
Al Horford gives Stephen Curry a commodity he has lacked
Curry and Draymond Green have formed a historically lethal pick-and-roll partnership. The former's gravity and the threat of him burying a three regardless of distance or defensive coverage prompt defenses to blitz him.
Getting the ball out of Curry's hands is far better than risking one made three snowballing into a game-changing avalanche. However, Green's basketball IQ makes him an elite decision-maker when he receives the rock on a short roll. Letting him operate with a four-on-three advantage typically works out in Golden State's favor.
But what Curry has commonly gone without is a power forward or center who is a reliable three-point threat. Like Green, Horford is a responsible decision-maker with the ball in his hands. However, defenses will soon have to deal with the greatest shooter of all time and a screener who can make them pay from behind the arc.
That offensive boost will go a long way for a veteran trio pushing for one last championship run while Butler tries to reach the NBA mountaintop for the first time in his career.