One of the players that Celtics general manager Brad Stevens mentioned as a priority to keep this offseason was Al Horford. Both he and Luke Kornet were seen as guys they wanted to keep.
After trading Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to get under the second apron, the thought was that they would have enough cap space to keep one or both of those players.
Now, it looks like they might lose both. Kornet signed a deal with the San Antonio Spurs, and Horford looks like he could be on his way to Golden State.
It looks like the Warriors have emerged as the favorites to sign Horford away from the Boston Celtics. This is according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
Horford has also been considering retirement, so there is no guarantee that he will sign with the Warriors before deciding to call it quits. He finally won a championship in 2024, so he has nothing left to prove.
If Horford does sign elsewhere, that leaves the Celtics in a very bad spot when it comes to the center position. They only have Neemias Queta and Luka Garza signed at the moment.
Most of the other good centers in free agency have already signed with other teams, so the Celtics might be stuck using one of them as their starter next season.
Despite Horford's age, he has proven that he can still be a good defender and a solid rebounder. He's not able to play a massive amount of minutes anymore, but he's still a serviceable NBA player.
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Celtics fans have fond memories of Horford, so even if he does decide to leave, fans will understand. He helped them win a title, and that's all that they can really ask for.
At this age, Horford would be more than justified to head off into the sunset. He has nothing left to prove after a long and very lucrative NBA career.
This past season with the Celtics, Horford averaged nine points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 42.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three.
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