Al Horford has made a verbal commit to sign a multiyear deal with the Golden State Warriors, league sources tell RealGM. Both the player and the franchise made a historic leap forward on Sunday. They’re already focused on the next NBA season.
Horford, who spent the majority of his recent career with the Boston Celtics, played in 60 games last season, starting in 42 of them. His contributions were equally as important in the Celtics’ march to the NBA title in the 2023-24 season. The 39-year-old veteran enters his 19th year in the league, bringing a wealth of experience to the Warriors as their new starting center.
Over the past three seasons, Horford has demonstrated his shooting prowess, making over 100 three-pointers each year while maintaining an impressive shooting percentage of 41% from beyond the arc. It’s no surprise he did as last season, when he averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He consistently shot 36% from deep on 5.2 attempts per game. This ability to stretch the floor has been a great addition to the Warriors’ offensive strategy.
Horford would be the ideal fit with the Warriors four main building-block players. Their foundation is built upon star players such as Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green. His playing experience and musical versatility will enhance the team’s collaborative spirit. They are preparing for another title run under that rainbow!
Horford has made his mark in the league defensively as well. Last year, he gave up an effective field-goal percentage of 46% when guarding isolations. His genius-level performance put him as the seventh best player in the entire NBA, per GeniusIQ. It’s this versatility and instinctive defensive capability, in addition to his offensive skills, that makes him such a uniquely versatile fit within the Warriors’ lineup.
Horford has had a pretty fantastic year lately. He is now one of just four players in NBA history to make 900+ threes while blocking 1,300+, joining legends Rasheed Wallace, Brook Lopez, and Clifford Robinson. This surprising statistic further highlights his well-rounded game and ability to influence both ends of the floor.
Leading up to his final decision to sign with Golden State, Horford was unsure of if he even wanted to keep playing or if he should retire. It was the Warriors that ultimately won his decision. They had identified him as their number one center target going into free agency back in July.
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