Did Celtics’ Al Horford Already Agree To Join Warriors?

Al Horford’s departure from the Boston Celtics is all but complete.

President of basketball operations Brad Stevens told reporters this week that the Celtics offered Horford a contract but that a return was “unlikely.” With Horford linked to the Golden State Warriors in recent days, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater provided a head-turning update on that development on Thursday.

Slater posted the following quote to X from Stephen Curry, who was asked about Horford while playing golf at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe:

“He’s a champion, great player. When…if, when all that stuff happens, I’ll talk about it.”

Did Curry accidentally let slip that a Horford-to-Warriors deal is already done? Responding to Slater’s news, CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning reposted Slater with the message, “Sounds like Horford to GSW is a (foregone) conclusion.”

Horford, 39, would be joining a Warriors team already featuring three future Hall of Famers in the final phase of their careers: Curry (37), Draymond Green (35), and Jimmy Butler (35).

While Horford was widely expected to retire in Boston, Jayson Tatum’s Achilles rupture complicated matters. Horford, an unrestricted free agent, surely would have prioritized returning to the Celtics if Tatum were healthy. Boston is also undergoing a cost-cutting summer, however, and there’s no guarantee that Golden State — or another team — wouldn’t have outbid the Celtics for Horford even if Boston’s outlook for 2025-26 was sunnier.

Horford’s Celtics legacy is a strong one. He was instrumental in the franchise’s 2024 championship, and he helped Boston reach another NBA Finals in 2022 before falling to Curry and the Warriors.