The NBA offseason is winding down, with the NBA slowly rolling out next year's schedule. While the Boston Celtics have undergone significant roster turnover, one name remains available. 18-year veteran Al Horford is still a free agent, and while signs have been pointing towards Horford signing with the Golden State Warriors, another option is in play.
NBA News: Al Horford Reportedly Still Considering Retirement
While the Warriors are expecting Horford to sign with them, the 39-year-old is considering retirement, per the latest ESPN report. This would be a tough blow to the Warriors' title chances next year as they would only have second-year center Quinten Post and third-year big man Trayce Jackson-Davis as their frontcourt, unless they plan on either Draymond Green playing serious minutes at the 5. While they could look for someone else in free agency, they are not going to find someone as good as Horford.
If Horford does settle on retiring, it would be the end of a great career that could see him end up in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Before entering the NBA, Horford played three seasons at the University of Florida under then-head coach Billy Donovan. In his sophomore and junior seasons, Horford and the Gators would win the National Championship, being the first team since Duke in 1991 and 1992 to win back-to-back national championships.
After his junior season at Florida, Horford declared for the draft and was selected third overall in the 2007 draft by the Atlanta Hawks. His rookie season saw the Hawks finish as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and meet the big 3 Celtics in the first round. While they eventually lost in Game 7, it was an impressive fight against the team that would go on to win the 2008 NBA championship.
Horford would remain with the Hawks before signing with the Celtics in free agency following the 15-16 season. In his first stint with the Celtics, Horford played three seasons before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. He'd play one season in Philly before being traded away in the offseason to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He'd play one season with the Thunder before former coach, now GM, Brad Stevens traded for Horford to bring him back to the Celtics.
In his first season back in Boston, Horford played a role in helping the team make the 2022 NBA Finals, the first of his career. Even though they would lose in 2022, the experience, combined with the offseason additions before the 23-24 season, helped the Celtics return to the Finals in 2024 and win the NBA championship. While the 2025 playoffs didn't go the Celtics' way with a loss to the New York Knicks in the second round, Horford will remain an important part of this era of Celtics basketball history.