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Jan 19, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) reacts after his basket against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Top NBA Free Agent Centers After Warriors' Al Horford Move

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 1:19 PM ET

The NBA free agency market sees an expected shift on Sunday, as the veteran center Al Horford has reportedly “committed” to a deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Horford has been expected to land with the Warriors since the start of free agency. However, the Jonathan Kuminga contract stalemate has slowed down the process, leaving Horford on the open market for months.

via @ShamsCharania : BREAKING: Free agent Al Horford has committed to a multi-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, agent Jason Glushon tells ESPN. After seven of the past nine years in Boston and winning the 2024 title, Horford will enter his 19th NBA season as the Warriors' starting center.

At 39, Horford was still one of the best free agent bigs left on the market.

Last season, Horford appeared in 60 games, picking up 42 starts and seeing the court for 27.6 minutes per game. The veteran center shot 42 percent from the field and knocked down 36 percent of his threes, producing 9.0 points per game. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds and dished out 2.1 assists.

During the Celtics’ playoff run, which ended in the second round, Horford started nine of 11 games. He produced 8.0 points per game, while shooting 47 percent from the field and knocking down 40 percent of his threes.

The Warriors fill a major void on their roster with the acquisition of Horford. The veteran center has nearly 200 games of playoff experience and just won an NBA Championship two years ago.

Top NBA Free Agent Centers Remaining

DeAndre Jordan

At 37 years old, Jordan doesn’t seem ready to hang it up just yet. There hasn’t been a discussion of retirement, and the veteran center was recently spotted putting in work, looking like a player who is ready for a call from an interested NBA team.

Jordan played in 56 games last year for the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 3.7 points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench.

Taj Gibson

Similar to Jordan, one has to wonder if Gibson will plan to call it a career soon. At 40 years old, Gibson has been around since 2009. Lately, he’s been playing smaller roles on rebuilding teams. Last year, Gibson appeared in 37 games for the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Christian Wood

Despite being an undrafted player in 2015, Wood carved out a pretty successful career for himself, considering the circumstances. However, he has struggled to get back out on the court lately.

The 30-year-old front-court player hasn’t been on a roster since the 2023-2024 season. That year, Wood played in 50 games for the Los Angeles Lakers. He produced 6.9 points per game, making 47 percent of his shots from the field. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

Bonus: Kai Jones

At just 24, Kai Jones is young and still has plenty of potential. Currently, he’s not available. After a quiet summer, Jones took a job outside of the NBA. He landed in Turkey with Anadolu Efes. However, Jones does have an exit clause on his deal, which makes him a player to watch later on in the season.