Inside The Celtics

Warriors ‘Locked In’ on Celtics’ 5-Time All-Star in Potential Major Free Agent Loss

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) high fives forward Jayson Tatum (0) after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter of game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) high fives forward Jayson Tatum (0) after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter of game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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The Golden State Warriors are 'locked in' on signing longtime Boston Celtics center Al Horford after Boston already lost Kevon Looney to the New Orleans Pelicans, per Brett Siegel.

Looney, who signed with the Pelicans on a two-year deal, played 76 games during the 2024-25 season, serving predominantly as a backup to Trayce Jackson-Davis. He averaged less than 5.0 points per game in each of the last two seasons, and has not averaged more than 10 in his career.

Jackson-Davis has one year and a club option on his four-year, $7.6 million contract, and seeing as he's just 25 years old, Horford would likely serve as his backup on the Warriors.

Horford has been with the Celtics since the 2021-22 season, and spent three seasons with the Celtics between 2016 and 2019. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Atlanta Hawks. Between his spells with the Celtics, he spent a year each with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Horford made his first All-Star game in 2009-10, and made his second in the following year. He made three All-Star games in four seasons between 2014-15 and 2017-18. He made the All-NBA Third Team in 2010-11 and the NBA All-Defensive Second team in 2017-18. He won his first NBA Championship in 2024.

The big man averaged 9.0 points per game in 2024-2025, and started in more than two thirds of the games he featured in for the Celtics.

The Celtics are primed to lose all three of their big men from the 2024-25 season, as they traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks for Georges Niang and a second-round pick, and Luke Kornet signed a four-year $41 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs within the first couple of hours of free agency.

With Horford's exit looming, the Celtics signed center Luke Garza to a two-year, $5.5 million contract.

More Boston Celtics news: Celtics Lose Free Agent Big to Spurs in $41 Million Blockbuster Deal

Celtics' Al Horford Viewed as 'Top Target' for Warriors

Celtics Reportedly Had Harsh Reaction to Raptors’ Derrick White Offer

Celtics Reportedly Demand Massive Return Package for Derrick White

Celtics Make Massive Decision Regarding JD Davison’s Future

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.


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Aaron Coloma
AARON COLOMA

Aaron Coloma is a contributing writer for On SI based in Los Angeles. A 2024 graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, he previously covered collegiate and high school sports for The Poly Post and Valley Sports Telegram, respectively.

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