NBA Free Agency: Insider reveals major contender for Al Horford’s signature after Lakers acquisition of Deandre Ayton

NBA insider Brett Siegel said that the Golden State Warriors and the LA Lakers have remained interested in 18-year veteran Al Horford.

On Thursday, Siegel replied to a fan asking whether Horford is mulling retirement or considering any other team besides the Warriors.

“To my knowledge, Warriors have made the biggest push. The Lakers have remained in involved, and retirement is still on the table as well. I do not know of other options as of last night,” Siegel wrote.

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Horford, 39, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He spent seven seasons with the Boston Celtics in two stints. He was a vital cog in Boston's several deep playoff campaigns, including the NBA title run in 2024. However, with star forward Jayson Tatum expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the next season due to his ACL recovery, the Celtics are expecting a down year.

Boston was projected to have the largest salary in history next season. As a result, Brad Stevens and Co. broke up their championship core by trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers signed arguably one of the best centers available in free agency, Deandre Ayton, to a two-year deal on Wednesday. Ayton will be LA's starting center, but adding Horford gives them big man depth.

Al Horford could come off the bench behind Ayton or can be an occasional starter. He had the same role with the Celtics the previous two seasons. He primarily came off the bench behind Porzingis and was inserted into the starting lineup whenever one of Boston's main guys was unavailable.

Several insiders confirm Al Horford is mulling between retirement, the Warriors and the Lakers

NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Thursday's "SportsCenter" that Al Horford is considering several options this offseason: retirement, the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.

"I'm told he is reviewing multiple options, including the Warriors, the Lakers, but also retirement," Charania said. "He is 39 years old. He just finished season 18. I'm told it would be a surprise if he makes a final decision by this weekend. He certainly has earned the right to make a decision at his own time.

"I will say though the Warriors are hopeful of where they stand in all this if Al Horford decides to play again."

Further, another league insider, Brian Windhorst, said on Wednesday's "ESPN Today" that if Horford decides to play next season, it is likely with a team from the West Coast.

"He has lots of different options, including retirement, but if he decides to indeed continue his career, the Golden State Warriors have been very aggressive in trying to bring him in," Windhorst said. "Obviously, the Lakers are badly in need of a center, so they have been involved with that, too.

"So, I would expect there’s a decent chance, if he continues his career, it’s out here on the West Coast, either with Golden State or L.A.”

Al Horford averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 36.3% 3-point shooting last season for the Boston Celtics. He started 42 of the 60 games he played. In the 2024-25 playoffs, Horford was a steady contributor, putting up 8.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in 11 games (nine starts).

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About the author

Kim Daniel Rubinos

Kim is an editor for US Sports and an NBA and WNBA analyst at Sportskeeda with a decade of multi-industry experience. He has a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in finance.

Writing has been Kim's passion, and during college, he was editor-in-chief. He has also accumulated a diverse entrepreneurial background. He possesses a knack for research and was recently a professor.

Kim has been a Boston Celtics fan since 2007, through its many ups and downs. He was delighted when the Cs raised its 18th banner in 2024.

Beyond basketball, he also enjoys following the NFL, MLB and F1. When not immersed in the world of sports and when he is not editing or writing, Kim is likely searching for the perfect cup of joe.

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