The Golden State Warriors are signing veteran big man Al Horford to a multi-year deal, according to ESPN. Horford is the latest casualty of the second apron for the Boston Celtics, who traded starters Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday and lost key reserve Luke Kornet early in free agency as part of the team’s efforts to shed payroll this summer. Boston’s loss is Golden State’s gain, however, as the Warriors are adding exactly the sort of big man they need to compete for the 2026 championship.
The Warriors play a fairly specific style on both ends of the floor that many players struggle to fit within. They switch a lot defensively, forcing big men to guard the perimeter. They pass more than any team in the league and rely on their players to make smart, quick decisions. Most importantly, for a center at least, they play two players that aren’t prolific 3-point shooters in Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, so being able to shoot 3s at any other position is critical. Horford checks every box.
Even in his age-38 season in Boston a year ago, Horford still played at a borderline All-Defense level. He’s shot over 39% from 3-point range since returning to Boston in 2022. At his peak he averaged as many as five assists per game, and while he won’t have the ball enough to do that for the Warriors, his passing and basketball IQ will be very welcome fits. While Golden State will miss dynasty mainstay Kevon Looney, who signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, Horford is a meaningful upgrade for a Warriors team loading up to win right now.
As for the Celtics, for now, they are without a reliable, starting-caliber center. Bench players Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman remain on the roster, and they added Minnesota reserve Luka Garza. But at the moment their center slot remains one of the major questions of the offseason. There has been reporting suggesting that they might try to redirect Anfernee Simons, whom they acquired in the Holiday trade, and that could perhaps bring them a big man. Otherwise, with limited spending money and a rapidly dwindling pool of free agents, the Celtics might be left standing when the music starts.
Horford may not retire in Boston, but he will still be revered as a beloved pillar of this era of Celtics basketball. He played seven seasons in Boston across two stints and was a key part of their 2024 championship team. Besides Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, he may be the most important Celtic of the post-Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett era. He will be missed in Boston, but a chance to compete for a championship with Golden State was simply too alluring to pass up.