Al Horford isn’t done yet. The 40-year-old center is turning down his player option and plans to sign a two-year, $14 million contract to stay with the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
That extension means Horford will play a 20th NBA season, making him just the 13th player in league history to reach that milestone. It’s a quietly historic moment for a guy who’s been a steady hand everywhere he’s played — Boston, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, and now the Bay Area.
Why the Warriors Are Betting on Horford Again
Let’s be honest: this season wasn’t Horford’s best. He played only 45 games, dealing with nagging injuries and recovery issues. His averages dropped to career lows — 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 21.5 minutes a night. That’s not the kind of stat line that usually earns a multiyear deal at age 40.
But the Warriors saw something else. Horford gave them a vet presence in a locker room that needed one. And when it mattered most — the Play-In Tournament game against the Clippers — he caught fire from deep in the fourth quarter, helping Golden State erase a deficit and steal a win. That kind of moment matters to a team that’s trying to squeeze one more title run out of its core.
Health Questions Loom for Golden State
Golden State’s season got derailed when Jimmy Butler went down with a season-ending knee injury. He’s expected to be ready for next year, and the plan is to pair him with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis. Horford slots in as a backup big who can stretch the floor and talk through defensive schemes.
“Me being here a year, being acclimated with Kerr, with Steph, with everybody else, I feel like we can continue to take steps forward and have a better season,” Horford told Charania.
The Warriors missed the playoffs entirely this year. That’s not something anyone in that organization is used to. Bringing back a veteran who knows the system and doesn’t need the ball to be effective makes sense, even if the numbers don’t pop off the page.
Horford turns 41 in June 2027, when the second year of this deal would be up. He might hang it up after that. Then again, people said the same thing two years ago.
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