Why Golden State Warriors Still Haven't Signed Al Horford, Other Free Agents

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 10:59 AM ET

It's nearly September and the Golden State Warriors still have just nine players with guaranteed contracts on their roster.

Free agency has come and gone. The bulk of the offseason is over and the NBA is in the dog days before the new campaign gets underway. This time of year, the news is bleak around the league.

Fortunately, the Warriors are keeping things interesting in the NBA world. They still haven't re-signed or dealt Jonathan Kuminga in a trade. They also haven't made any other offseason moves to flesh out their roster.

Most teams have all but one roster spot (or no roster spots) available, and they are waiting for training camp to make final decisions for their squad.

Why Warriors haven't signed Al Horford, or any other free agents

Former Boston Celtics center Al Horford is consistently brought up as a target for the Warriors. NBA insider Jake Fischer remains "very confident" the club will still sign the veteran and one-time champion.

However, the reason the Warriors haven't inked a deal with Horford, who will add size and shooting in the Bay Area, is that they are all in a holding pattern until the Kuminga situation shakes out, as Fischer mentioned in a recent Bleacher Report live stream.

https://www.youtube.com/live/CfG_xQ9sqh0

"Al Horford's situation is a bit different because, depending on where the Warriors land in a cap/tax situation, I believe he is slated to make upwards of the full taxpayer mid-level exception. There has also been some discussion about whether or not he could potentially be receiving a two-year deal with a player option as well," Fischer said.

Evidently, Horford would be a strong addition. They could then pivot to other free agents on the market. Again, those moves won't take place until Kuminga either re-signs or agrees to a sign-and-trade (or signs elsewhere outright, though the Warriors would likely match the offer sheet).

Until then , the Warriors will hold with nine guaranteed players on their roster, and they seem to be fine with that being the case.

In the end, the other players Golden State would pivot to do not have a plethora of options as free agents. There's no longer any incentive for the Warriors or Kuminga to act fast. This is a hurry up and wait situation, and the Warriors will do just that.

Once Kuminga inks a deal somewhere, expect moves to then be made quickly.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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