Golden State Makes Its First Offseason Move: What the Former Celtics Big Man Brings to the Team
After almost three months of the 2025 legal tampering period, during which teams could negotiate with free agents, the Warriors have finally made a move. After seven seasons with the Celtics, experienced veteran Al Horford will take his talents to the Bay for “multiple years.” The details of his contract are unknown at this time, but his verbal commitment to the team all but confirms the offseason-long rumor. At 39 years old, even though Horford’s best years have surely passed, the former champion still has value to provide.
To state the obvious, the now ex-Celtic provides a big body that the Warriors lack. Standing at six-foot-nine, Horford adds size to a roster that contains seven-foot Quinten Post and six-foot-nine Trayce Jackson-Davis. But where Horford will really help the Warriors is floor spacing. He shot 36.3% from beyond the arc last year, right around the league average. In his career, he has gotten the single-season percentage up as high as 44%, showing that he’s able to punish defenses from deep. This will allow Golden State to still play five-out, the system that so famously helped them thrive during their dynasty years a decade ago.
I can imagine Horford being used interchangeably with Post, with the only difference being perhaps to use “Big Al” around the paint more than his counterpart. As far as his impact outside of the statsheet, his leadership qualities will also help mesh this group together even further. Horford knows what it takes to win a chip, and his role in the Celtics’ 2024 run to the Larry O’Brien Trophy was crucial. Let’s not forget that he filled in some big minutes for the absence of Kristaps Porzingis early during those playoffs, and even improved on his regular season numbers. Horford is also a more than capable defender, and may help resolve the overwhelming problem the Warriors had last year without much size. Standing alongside Draymond Green as defensive anchors, the 2022 champs should have an easier time guarding the paint.
The biggest question with Big Al is regarding his health and how many minutes he will give Golden State. Assuming that he will remain in good shape throughout the year, can he give the Warriors around 30 minutes a game and 60-62 regular season games? Most importantly, can he give this team those same valuable minutes he gave the Celtics in 2024? Overall, I think this fit will be nothing short of seamless. Horford blends in well with the current Warriors identity, and his locker room presence should contribute to the development of younger forwards like Post or Davis.
