- Free agent center and former Boston Celtics big man Al Horford committed to signing a multiyear contract with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Finally. Horford signing with the Warriors was rumored from the start of free agency nearly three months ago and became obvious once the other possible suitors quickly utilized their exceptions to fill frontcourt needs.
Golden State delayed formally agreeing on a contract all summer to maintain flexibility pending the outcome of Jonathan Kuminga‘s seemingly endless restricted free agency. Depending on where Kuminga’s contract came in, the Warriors could have structured Horford’s contract — which will hard cap them at the second apron by using their taxpayer midlevel exception — slightly differently.
Let’s come back to the financial implications of Horford’s deal and start by discussing the basketball fit. Even before the Warriors added Jimmy Butler at the February trade deadline, frontcourt shooting was Golden State’s biggest need.
With Draymond Green an iffy shooter at this stage of his career (32.5% on 3s during the regular season, 27% in the playoffs) and Butler (1.9 attempts per game from long distance) a reluctant one, the Warriors badly need everyone else on the court with them to stretch the floor. (That has been part of the issue with Kuminga, who shot a career-worst 30.5% on 3s last season.)
That limitation resulted in Golden State coach Steve Kerr settling on a tiny lineup to close the regular season with no player taller than the 6-foot-7 Butler. Green plays much bigger than his listed height (6-foot-6), certainly, but the best Warriors “small-ball” units featured more size alongside him in the frontcourt than we saw last season.
Enter the 6-foot-9 Horford, who remains an archetype of versatility in his late 30s. (Horford turned 39 in June and will be 40 by the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Finals.) Horford shot just 36% on 3s last season, but that came on the heels of hitting better than 40% beyond the arc in each of the previous two campaigns. And Horford remains capable of defending on the perimeter better than most centers two decades younger.
To keep him healthy for long playoff runs, the Celtics carefully managed Horford’s minutes. He last played both ends of a back-to-back set in March 2022 and was limited to 28 minutes per game despite Boston playing much of last season without starting center Kristaps Porzingis. Golden State will want to operate in a similar fashion, making it important for young reserves Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post to help alleviate the 82-game load.
Come the postseason, the Warriors have unparalleled playoff experience. After 2021, last year’s NBA Finals were the second since 2014 that didn’t feature Golden State (which still boasts Green and Stephen Curry from their dynasty run), Butler or Horford. All four rank among the top 10 active players in playoff minutes.
How much Kuminga makes this season is limited by apron restrictions. If they fill out the roster with expected minimum signings of Seth Curry, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II, that leaves the Warriors some $24 million to spend on Kuminga while staying clear of the second apron.
Signing other free agents to deals with player options such as Horford’s would reduce that maximum starting offer slightly because they would count at their full salary rather than the veteran’s minimum. But Golden State has more than enough money to make a fair offer to Kuminga on a multiyear deal that would also be highly tradeable.
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