Al Horford signs with Golden State Warriors
Horford verbally committed to the Warriors on Sunday, sources said. The sides are working through the final financial terms, with a signing in the coming days after the final decision from restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, a source said.
Much of the credit for the Celtics great success over the past nine seasons goes to Al Horford who played seven of those seasons with Boston. Horford was key to the Celtics rise to championship competitors again following the end of the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett/Rajon Rondo era. The Celtics would return to the NBA Finals twice during Horford's tenure in Boston, winning it all in 2024.
I was hoping that the Celtics could agree to a new contract with Horford so he could finish his career in Boston, but with the team hesitant to spend money this year and with Horford already accepting home town discounts the past couple years it's understandable that Al chose to sign in a more lucrative spot. And with the Celtics letting Porzingis and Holiday go in salary dumps and with the odds still more likely than not that Jayson Tatum doesn't play this season, Golden State also sadly presented a better chance to win for Horford this year.
There was a rumor that Al would go to the Lakers, and in my opinion that would have been the only unacceptable landing spot for Celtics fans. Sure some fanatics will still be upset with Horford, but this is nothing like when Ray Allen took much less to sign with the Celtics' rival who just knocked them out in the Conference Finals. Despite the lip service that must be said prior to the season, this is a bridge year for the Celtics with Tatum out, all the player losses, and the mandate to get out of the repeater tax penalties.
Horford had no issue with coming off the bench for the Celtics, nor would he have ever have taken less to sign elsewhere. If Horford was going to continue playing he was going to do it on a contender and all things considered the Warriors aren't some bitter rival of the Celtics, so best of luck to Big Al who will go down as the greatest free agent signing in Boston Celtics history.
Fast forward to 9 summers later and Al Horford still goes down as the greatest free agent signing in Boston Celtics history.Horford was the first All-Star still in his prime to sign w/ the Celtics in free agency breaking the false narrative that no top free agents especially Black stars wanted to sign to play in Boston.
Since then two All-Stars in their prime ( And iron men at that point in their respective careers) Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker chose to sign here and a third in Kyrie Irving engineered a trade to Boston. Sadly none of those 3 were able to achieve the success that was expected when they came here, but Al Horford was all that and more when it came to reaching expectations.
Al helped lead the Celtics to multiple long playoff runs, two NBA Finals visits, and Banner 18. He accepted a hometown discount the past couple of yrs in Boston & if not for the stupid luxury tax apron penalties that the NBAPA foolishly agreed to coupled w/ Jayson Tatum's achilles tear, we likely would have been able to see Horford finish out his career in the city he loved the most.
Unfortunately as is almost always the case, your favorite players aren't able to do that anymore in contrast to the days when Red Auerbach ran the show. Like multiple time All-stars Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Isaiah Thomas, Ray Allen, and Robert Parish, Horford will likely finish his NBA career in another uniform, but he will forever Bleed Green and remain a Celtic for Life. 🫡
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) September 28, 2025
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