In the later stages of the offseason, a plethora of free agents remain without a contract for the 2026 campaign. Among them is longtime Boston Celtics big man Al Horford. Despite multiple teams having interest in him, one insider detailed why he has been unsigned up to this point.
Although he's in the later stages of his career, Horford has still proven to be a viable rotation piece for a contender. In 60 games for the Celtics last season, he averaged 9.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG. Seeing that Boston is preparing for a gap year, he's surveyed the open market in hopes of landing in a position to compete for a title.
Since free agency began, the Golden State Warriors have been among the main teams linked to Horford. In his latest roundup of NBA intel, Marc Stein noted why the two sides haven't come to an agreement yet. Horford, along with multiple other free agents, is a bystander in the Warriors' ongoing saga with forward Jonathan Kuminga.
"Kuminga has been unwilling to date to accept Golden State's offer of a two-year deal in the $45 million range. The 22-year-old’s resistance stems in part from the Warriors' insistence that such a deal include a team option in Year 2 and their request that Kuminga waive the right to block trades in Year 1 that such a contract would provide him under what is often referred to as a One-Year Bird classification," Stein wrote. "Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II have all long been expected to sign with the Warriors this summer but remain on hold when it comes to making those deals official while the Kuminga situation plays out."
Going behind the scenes on Luka Dončić Contract Extension Day in LA … AND around-the-league on many more topics in my latest Sunday Best Notes: https://t.co/tKIZCowERx
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 3, 2025
📸: @Lakers pic.twitter.com/EMWOI1srMK
From a fit perspective, Horford makes a lot of sense for the new-look Warriors. Upon trading for Jimmy Butler last season, they are committed to a short-term window with their older stars. Horford fits right in with this core as a veteran eager to make one more run at a title before hanging it up for good.
Between his playoff and championship experience and his versatile skill set, Horford could be a strong addition to Golden State's frontcourt alongside Draymond Green.