Al Horford never thought he’d be anywhere else. After spending seven of the past nine years in Boston — and finally breaking through with the 2024 championship, his first in nearly two decades in the NBA — the idea of leaving the Celtics didn’t feel real.
But the business side of basketball made the decision for him. The Celtics, staring down the harshest penalties of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, tore down a roster that had long dominated the East. Horford, 39, became one of the casualties, and in the end, Golden State was the one place that made sense.
“It was very difficult,” Horford said. “Boston became a second home for me and just being in that community and being part of that city was something very special for me and my family. So it wasn’t an easy decision for me to make.”
Leaving Boston, Why the Warriors
Boston’s pivot came after Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the conference semifinals. Without their star forward, the Celtics traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, while Horford and Luke Kornet walked in free agency.
Finances loomed large. Under the new CBA, Boston faced a projected $500 million payroll and the prospect of paying repeater taxes that would cripple its flexibility for years. By August, the team was more than $40 million over the luxury tax line.
Through a flurry of moves, they trimmed that figure to just $12.1 million above the threshold and barely $4 million over the first apron — a major relief compared to where they started.
Celtics president Brad Stevens said the team did try to keep Horford but acknowledged the reality of the numbers.
“We offered both Al and Luke the opportunity to stay… We gave Al an offer, but there wasn’t any expectation he wouldn’t take a bigger offer elsewhere and go for it, because that’s his right,” Stevens said. “He’s been great for us and we very much value our time together.”
Horford, meanwhile, saw the Warriors as the only situation worth uprooting for.
“It’s a great opportunity to compete and to win at a high level,” he said. “When I think about the Warriors, I think about Steph, Draymond, Steve Kerr, and seeing Jimmy Butler, what he did in that second half of the season last year… If there was one place that I was going to leave [Boston] for, it was this.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed the sentiment: “Al’s ability to fit in any lineup makes him hugely valuable right away.”
Adjusting to Golden State, Year 19 Mindset
Horford’s path to San Francisco wasn’t exactly smooth. His deal — a two-year contract using the taxpayer midlevel exception — couldn’t be made official until the Warriors resolved Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency. That standoff dragged on for nearly three months as the team refused to budge on giving a player option. Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II had already verbally committed, but they had to wait until Kuminga signed his two-year, $48.5 million deal with a team option before their contracts could be finalized.
“It was definitely a very odd offseason, just kind of waiting and waiting and seeing what’s going to happen,” Horford said. “My whole focus was on my training and preparing myself and making sure I was in the best place for when the season started.”
That patience has carried over into training camp. Horford admitted he had little prior relationship with Golden State’s stars despite years of playoff battles against them.
“I did not have a relationship with any of the guys here,” he said. “The respect from my end is there with what they’ve done, as competitors. But now that we’re teammates, I’m quickly trying to get acclimated and quickly trying to find this Warrior way.”
On the floor, he expects a seamless fit alongside Draymond Green. “Draymond is an elite defender… just a guy that knows how to play that’s going to make the game easy for me.”
As for his own longevity, Horford said his faith and habits are what keep him going. “For me, my faith is what holds me, what carries me strong. Besides that, you take care of your body, make sure you’re getting your sleep, nutrition — all those things. It’s a lifestyle that you have to embrace in order to continue staying and playing at a high level.”
Answering the Age Question, Leadership & Chemistry
The Warriors’ core of Stephen Curry, Green, Jimmy Butler and Horford is one of the oldest in the league, a fact that follows Horford wherever he goes.
“It’s fair, it’s an older group, no question about it,” he said. “It’s funny because I feel like I’ve been getting called old since like 30… That narrative’s been following me every year. It is true, but we have a very solid team. We have a lot of depth, and a lot of the young guys are going to play a big role.”
Even with his reputation as one of the NBA’s most respected veterans, Horford was quick to note that Golden State already has established leaders.
“For me, it’s very clear — Draymond is our leader here, and then Steph and Jimmy as well,” he said. “I’m going to just kind of follow suit, look to learn from them, take guidance from them, and be here for whatever is needed from me.”
Will Al Horford Win a Championship in the Bay?
For Horford, the formula for winning hasn’t changed. It’s less about star power on paper and more about how the pieces come together over time. He saw that firsthand in Boston, where role players meshed with stars like Tatum and Jaylen Brown to finally break through with a title. Now, he’s looking for the same thing in San Francisco with proven talent.
“You do need the talent, but I feel like it’s not so much about the names,” he said. “When everybody’s moving and looking in that same direction, that’s when you have a pretty special group.”
Horford’s move serves as an example of the financial realities of the new CBA can reshape even championship rosters, especially when injuries occur. But his arrival also signals Golden State’s belief that experience still matters.
At 39, Al Horford is betting there’s at least one more title run left — this time in the Bay.
