The door for an Al Horford reunion with the Boston Celtics is officially closed. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Horford will opt out of his $5.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season and sign a new two-year, $14 million extension to remain with the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State's Al Horford is declining his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $14 million deal to stay with the Warriors, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Horford, 40, becomes only the 13th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons. pic.twitter.com/Tuu4oYb9hV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026
Many Celtics fans had held out hope that Golden State’s underwhelming season would inspire Horford to rethink his decision to leave Boston and perhaps consider returning to the Cs.
Though that sounded great in theory, it was never really in the cards. As soon as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr agreed to a two-year extension to remain with the team, Horford’s return felt all but decided.
The 39-year-old’s future in The Bay Area was thought to hinge on Kerr’s, per Clutchpoints’ Brett Siegel.
With both men’s contracts aligning, it seems as if that theory may be confirmed to be true.
Even before the official report came on Thursday morning, it felt like Horford confirmed his return to the Warriors with his reaction to their selection of Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg in Tuesday’s NBA Draft.
The veteran took to Twitter/X to welcome the rookie to San Francisco.
Bienvenido Yaxel!!!!
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) June 24, 2026
It always felt unlikely that he’d publicly show excitement about Lendeborg’s arrival if he wasn’t planning to stick around.
Horford's absence continues to be felt in Boston
Horford’s lore in Boston is going to keep growing as the years pass. Even while he was with the team, it was always difficult to imagine who could replace Big Al when he eventually decided to retire (or move on).
His versatile array of skills; shooting, strength, defensive excellence, and tremendous passing feel are all so important to have on a winning roster.
Even though the Celtics overachieved in their first season without Horford, his presence was still missed when it mattered most -- the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid flipped the series against Boston on its head when he returned from injury. Horford, historically, has defended the former MVP better than just about anyone in the NBA. The Celtics had absolutely no answer for Embiid.
He consistently created reliable offensive opportunities for the Sixers when they needed him to most, and all the Cs could do was foul. It’s easy to feel like Horford could’ve changed things for Boston.
He still has plenty left to give, it seems. In his first season with Golden State, Horford produced at about the same level as he did in his final seasons with the Cs. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 42.1% from the field and 36.1% from deep.
The big difference was his lack of availability. Horford appeared in just 45 games for the Dubs, 15 fewer than his previous season with the Celtics.
Nonetheless, Boston will have to continue their search for their next great versatile frontcourt option.
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