Perhaps the most notable addition of the Golden State Warriors’ late-offseason signings was Al Horford, arriving a year after winning a title with the Boston Celtics and set to enter his 19th season in the NBA.
Though one of the oldest players in the league, Horford remains an impactful player on both sides of the ball and expects to start at center for head coach Steve Kerr.
Steve Kerr Gets Brutally Honest On Al Horford Fit With Warriors
However, while Horford’s impact on the court with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and others has yet to be seen, the big man recently dropped a big hint as to his retirement plans, just after arriving in Golden State.Speaking with Nick Friedell of The Athletic, Horford said he expects the Warriors to be the last stop on his NBA journey, barring any extraordinary circumstances. “Yeah, I think so,” Horford said when asked if he’ll end his career in Golden State. “I think at this point in my career, where I see everything, that is my expectation, just to be here.”
Al Horford didn’t think he would leave Boston over the summer — but the Jayson Tatum injury changed everything. After re-shuffling the roster, the Celtics couldn’t offer the thing Horford wanted most at the end of his career: One more chance at a title. https://t.co/vyWaWcRBDz
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) October 14, 2025
Horford, age 39, averaged nine points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 42.3% shooting for Boston last season. He signed a two-year, $11.6 million deal to go to the Bay Area, but there is a real chance that after that contract ends, Horford could bow out of the league.
Horford On Leaving The Celtics
Horford’s addition to Golden State was not only notable because he now joins at the tail end of the team’s dynastic run, but because he left the Celtics just a year off a historic title run. However, in his profile with The Athletic, the center offered multiple reasons why it was time to leave the team he spent a collective seven seasons with. Along with Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles in the playoffs, Boston’s cap space was becoming a real issue. They won the title, but couldn’tkeep paying all their starters on new, more expensive deals. Along with the finances, Horford said he didn’t think Boston had the same championship hopes as a few years ago. “I think the financial part was a component, but more than that, it was the winning part of it, trying to contend for a championship,” Horford said on his Boston departure. “And I think there was a lot of things up in the air — and it just felt like they weren’t in the same, that same vision, obviously, because JT getting hurt, that takes a big toll. So I think at that point I really had to — up until then I was staying in Boston the whole time.”
Horford joined Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis as noteworthy Celtics stars who left over the summer. The veteran center said after seeing the team’s early offseason moves, he didn’t think a return was right.“I think once that offseason happened and it started to progress, it became clear to me the team had different priorities,” Horford added. “Obviously, getting rid of Jrue (Holiday), getting rid of Kristaps (Porziņģis). And I know it’s all salary stuff, but it was like a domino effect, and it was tough for me.”
Why He Chose The Warriors
While leaving Boston as a fan favorite, Horford now joins a Golden State team that hopes to win at least one more title to cap off a historic decade-plus dynasty. When asked about why he joined the Warriors, Horford said it was both the prospect of playing with future Hall of Famers, as well as their interest in playing with him.
Al Horford checked in to a huge ovation for his first Warriors preseason game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Fztfipmy2f
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 6, 2025
“Yeah, I had communication with them, with Steph and Draymond,” Horford said. “And that was important. It happened very fast because it was at a point where they came to me and they’re like, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you,’ and all these things. And it was one of these things that, for me, looking at this fit and the potential, it just felt right. So them reaching out to me was important.”Before even playing in his first official regular-season game with the team, with minimal preseason action under his belt, Horford has received praise from Curry, Kerr, and other members of the team. Golden State has yet to have a veteran center with both an outside shooting and rim-protecting presence over the past few years, so Horford will play a big part in the team’s expected success.
“It’s huge to have, not only a space five, but it’s not just any space five, it’s Al Horford,” Kerr said at a previous Golden State press conference. “Rebounds, defends, smart, good passer. Just watching him today, you could see the fit, how smooth it is.”AfterHorford’s earlier comments on wanting the Warriors to be his last team, it is fair to say his current deal could likely be the last NBA contract he will sign.
Be the first to comment