The Golden State Warriors are turning to veteran stability in the middle. On the eve of media day, the team reached an agreement with 39-year-old Al Horford to become its starting center, according to multiple reports.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Sunday that Horford has committed to a multi-year deal with Golden State, where he is expected to enter his 19th NBA season as a fixture in the starting lineup. Horford spent seven of the last nine years with the Boston Celtics, including the championship run in 2023-24.
“BREAKING: Free agent Al Horford has committed to a multi-year deal with the Golden State Warriors,” Charania wrote on X, citing agent Jason Glushon.
The financial terms are not yet finalized. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported the contract hinges on the Warriors resolving Jonathan Kuminga’s ongoing contract standoff.
“Al Horford was the veteran stretch center the Warriors targeted early in free agency,” Slater wrote. “Business still needs to get sorted with Kuminga to finalize Horford’s exact contract, but he is a multi-year part of their plans.”
Financial Questions Still Loom
Horford is expected to command more than the veteran minimum salary, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, who reported in August that Golden State could allocate its taxpayer mid-level exception — worth $5.7 million — toward his deal.
“There’s also discussion of a potential two-year deal with a player option, which would be beneficial for Horford, who was considering retirement following the Celtics’ 2024 championship run,” Fischer said on Bleacher Report’s Insider’s Notebook.
For Golden State, the addition reflects a calculated risk — investing in one of the league’s oldest starting lineups while balancing the books around expensive core stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
Fit with Warriors’ System
GettyAl Horford is the stretch center the Golden State Warriors have coveted for years.
The Warriors have eyed Horford for months as a complementary piece to reduce the heavy defensive and rebounding load on Green, Slater noted earlier this summer.
“Horford would slide in as the presumed starting center, lessening the regular-season load on Draymond Green, which is a priority,” Slater reported in August. “Horford’s ability to pass and defend fits well into the Warriors’ system. His ability to shoot from the center spot is something they’ve been sorely lacking.”
Last season, Horford averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while knocking down 36.3% of his 3-point attempts. During Boston’s title run in 2024, he shot 41.9% from deep. With Curry and Butler stretching defenses, Horford should see more open looks than he did in Boston.
Warriors’ Aging Core
Horford’s arrival further tilts the Warriors toward experience over youth. If he takes his expected starting role, Golden State would field one of the NBA’s oldest lineups: Curry (37), Butler (36), Green (35) and Horford (39) will all be in their mid-to-late 30s.
That stands in contrast to the league’s current trend. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are the second-youngest title team since the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State faces another challenge in managing Horford’s workload.
“He hasn’t been playing both sides of back-to-backs,” Slater added. “The Warriors can’t rely on him to be an every-night 25-minute option. But the desire is to have him in the lineup when it matters and open up space for five-man combinations, which would especially benefit a downhill driver like Kuminga.”
Depth Behind Horford
The Warriors are scheduled for 15 back-to-back sets this season, tied for the second-most in the NBA. Horford and Green are unlikely to play in all of them.
Second-year big man Quinten Post and third-year pro Trayce Jackson-Davis are expected to fill in when veterans rest. Both showed flashes of promise last season and will likely see their roles expand in 2025.
Horford, who contemplated retirement this offseason, will instead take on one more high-stakes challenge. With his deal awaiting final structure, the Warriors are betting that his savvy, floor spacing, and defensive IQ can help extend their championship window — even as their roster ages.
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