By definition, Al Horford’s future with the Golden State Warriors is uncertain. The former Boston Celtics center will decide whether or not he’ll opt into the player-option for the second year of his contract with the Warriors.
It was a contract he inked last summer, leaving Boston, knowing he’d be joining a team and coaching staff with experience competing for championships. Now, with Steve Kerr’s future in doubt, Horford’s is too.
Clutchpoints’ Brett Siegel speculates that if Kerr truly is out after 12 years in charge of the Dubs, the chances that Horford opts out increase quite a bit.
“One of the main reasons Horford picked the Dubs was to contend for a title at the end of his career,” Siegel wrote on Monday. “If Kerr leaves and the Dubs look to reset the roster around Curry, the chances of Horford opting out and becoming a free agent increase tenfold.”
That decision, however, is one that the veteran big man will take some time before making officially. He said as much earlier this month at his exit interview following Golden State’s loss in the Play-In Tournament.
“For me, it has to do with not rushing to anything or not letting emotions or heat of the moment determine anything,” Horford told reporters in San Francisco, via the team’s . “I’ve done this the last few years and it’s taking time to step back and have a clear picture. Look at the outlook of the team and where I’m at and how I’m feeling. Fortunately for me, I’m healthy and feel good. I still feel like I can contribute and play at a very high level still. Those are all things that I’m going to look at and now that everything gets quiet, it’s something I’ll reflect on, all that.”
Both the Celtics and Horford should be open to a reunion
Celtics fans largely still love Horford. He spent seven total seasons in Boston across two stints, reached five Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, and won a title in 2024. There are some bitters who resent his decision to leave for a second time, but make no mistake, they’d welcome him back for an eighth season in a heartbeat.
A possible return to the Celtics for Horford isn’t something that fans should rule out. When he left, he cited the opportunity to compete for another title, which didn’t look to be a possibility given the roster turnover Boston underwent last summer, plus Jayson Tatum’s expected long Achilles tendon rehab process.
Eight months later, the possibility of a 19th NBA championship banner being raised to the TD Garden rafters isn’t out of the question. They’re currently one win away from breezing past the Philadelphia 76ers and heading to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
With the way they’ve played for the majority of the season, there’s plenty of reason to believe that they could still be playing in June.
If Horford is truly interested in chasing championships, Boston is the place to do it.
It’s not like he doesn’t have anything left to give, either. The soon-to-be 40-year-old was a huge reason why the Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In. His four fourth-quarter triples gave them a huge boost as they mounted an impressive comeback.
Who’s to say he couldn’t put together another great playoff moment with the Cs?