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Nov 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (2) shoots against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Could the Hawks Reunite With Their Former All-Star Center?

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI | By Rohan Roman | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 9:48 AM ET

The Hawks have already done a lot to reinforce their center depth. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis in a blockbuster move, drafted Georgia big man Asa Newell in the first round and signed a depth fourth center in N'Foly Dante. That's all before mentioning that they already had Mo Gueye and Onyeka Okongwu at center. However, things aren't as flush at the power forward spot.

Right now, only Porzingis, Newell and Jalen Johnson are capable of playing the PF spot for extended periods of time. Newell is a rookie and Porzingis's injury history suggests that having him play the 4 would be risky. Therefore, it wouldn't be all that surprising if Atlanta made a move to add another player capable of playing PF to the mix.

What about Al Horford?

While the former All-Star for the Hawks is currently unsigned, many in the industry expect him to sign with the Warriors after they resolve the Jonathan Kuminga situation. However, it's worth considering that Horford may not be a certainity for the Warriors if they continue to drag out their dispute with Kuminga. Training camps open around the NBA on Sept. 29 and while a veteran like Horford doesn't necessarily need the time, he might prefer to have his situation resolved so that he can acclimate himself to a new team.

Right now, the Hawks are $12.4 million dollars below the luxury tax line and already used their mid-level cap exception on Luke Kennard. They can only offer a veteran's minimum contract, so Horford would need to get tired of the situation in Golden State and take less money to sign with the Hawks. While it's certainly unlikely, I don't think it's impossible. The veteran's minimum has a salary of $2.2 million associated with it and it's pretty clear Horford would want to go to a team with legitimate postseason aspirations. Outside of the Warriors, there are really only three teams in the Western Conference that can offer him a veteran's minimum deal or better while also offering a chance to compete for a title. The OKC Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets could both bring in Horford, but all of those teams already have their frontcourt depth settled.

In the Eastern Conference, there are even fewer teams left. The Cavaliers are unlikely to offer Horford a contract due to their second-apron roster. The Knicks could, but they already have two centers in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson alongside multiple good wings. They might not have the minutes to give Horford and already have a very expensive roster. Therefore, the Hawks would be competing among the middle of the Eastern Conference and they should feel good about their odds of enticing Horford away from Golden State if he's interested. He has familiarity with Atlanta, already has an ex-teammate on the roster in Porzingis and the Eastern Conference is far more open than the Western Conference. At best, the Warriors are coming into the season as a projected fourth or fifth seed. They'll have to go through multiple MVP frontrunners in Jokic, SGA and Luka while also dealing with extremely talented teams in the Rockets and Timberwolves. The path to the Finals is easier in the Eastern Conference and it's not particularly close.

However, it's worth considering whether Horford would even be a fit with the Hawks. There are three main reasons why, despite his age, Atlanta would be making a smart decision by bringing the veteran back home.

Playoff Experience

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Despite the Hawks' aspirations of a championship run, there are only three players on the roster who have been a significant part of teams that made it to the conference finals or beyond (Trae Young, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kristaps Porzingis). The Hawks are a very young team that had four players under 25 in their starting lineup last season. Horford's wealth of experience would be massive for them. He's played 197 games in the playoffs, started 189 of them and was a critical part of two Finals teams with the Celtics. That type of veteran experience is not easily replicated - it's important to have players who can set an example of winning basketball with both their play and habits.

While he's not the player he once was, Horford is still capable of backing up his leadership with his play on the court. He posted shooting splits of 47/40/86 in the playoffs last year while playing 31.6 minutes per game. Because Porzingis was hobbled for a large portion of the Knicks series, Horford almost played a starting center's workload. He's almost 40 years old, but it shouldn't be discounted how the veteran still has something in the tank when the playoffs come around. The Hawks have enough big men to keep him from playing massive minutes at his age. If he can consistently play 15-20 minutes a night while slightly elevating those numbers in the playoffs, it'd be a coup of a signing for the Hawks to pull off.

3&D Impact

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Horford's percentage from deep dipped to 36% on 5.2 attempts a game last season, but that's without considering he was shooting at above a 40% clip on significant volume (4+ attempts a game) in the two seasons prior. He's still one of the best big men shooters in the league and he'd feast while working off Trae Young's gravity. Being able to run out lineups with Young, Alexander-Walker, Risacher, Horford and Porzingis would give Atlanta true five-out potential without the defensive drawbacks that usually accompany teams that have a shooter at center. Horford's mostly limited to spot-up shooting at this stage in his career, but that should be enough for Young to weaponize him as an option on kick-out threes.

He's still got a solid baseline on defense as well. He routinely guards the best players in isolation, switches with ease and still does well against them. Look no further than his minutes guarding Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves last season. He held the Lakers' top three scorers to 7-23 shooting while James and Doncic combined to only make three shots against him.

Positional Flexibility

David Butler II-Imagn Images

At 6'9, Horford has a unique skillset that allows him to both guard centers and power forwards. He still has the foot speed to hang with mobile forwards like Giannis and Paolo Banchero while also being able to hold his own against centers like Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns. That's a really valuable piece for Atlanta to have in their lineup. Jalen Johnson is still growing as a defender and while he's an elite defensive rebounder, his ability to guard in space is less consistent. Conversley, Porzingis is a great defender whose frame often can't hold up with everything he provides on that end. It'd be a luxury to have Horford step into the starting lineup for games that either Johnson or Porzingis miss.

While there's a slim possiblity of it happening, there's no question that signing Al Horford in almost any capacity would be a great opportunity for the Hawks. He's still an excellent player that could bring a massive impact to Atlanta's chances of making a deep postseason run. If his deal with Golden State falls through, the Hawks' front office should continue their aggressive track record by giving Horford a call.