While there's been no official confirmation through the first two days of free agency, the Golden State Warriors remain a strong possibility for veteran center and 5x All-Star Al Horford.
The buzz around a Horford move to the Warriors is only ringing loudly, particularly because the franchise has reportedly expressed their disinterest in a trade with the Chicago Bulls for 2x All-Star Nikola Vucevic.
The Warriors have stepped away from trade interest in Nikola Vucevic
Golden State have been consistently linked to a move for Vucevic since early last season, but passed up a potential mid-season trade for the veteran big man even when it was still theoretically possible following the Jimmy Butler acquisition.
The Bulls are making Vucevic available again this offseason as he enters the final year of an expiring $21.5 million contract, with the Warriors again once again viewed as an obvious destination particularly when Chicago also have interest in restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Yet according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Golden State have moved beyond Vucevic despite the desire to add a veteran stretch big to pair with young centers Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The Warriors, though, appear to have moved away from past trade interest they previously registered in veteran Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, which might have helped spark something this summer (in regard to Kuminga)," Fischer wrote.
Vucevic is coming off a strong season with the Bulls, averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 53% shooting from the floor and 40.2% from 3-point range. Despite those impressive numbers, trading a 22-year-old athlete like Kuminga for a slow-footed, 35-year-old center in Vucevic wouldn't be overly wise from a Warrior perspective, even if it were mathematically possible considering the complications of the base-year compensation rule.
So if they're not interested in Vucevic and with Brook Lopez signing a two-year, $18 million contract with the L.A. Clippers, Golden State must be confident of landing Horford in their search for a playoff proven center who can stretch the floor
While there's some concern given Horford has not officially agreed to a deal with the Warriors since free agency opened, there's still reasonably positive news from Fischer early on Wednesday.
"League sources say Golden State remains a leading contender to sign Al Horford away from Boston as a much-needed move to bolster a frontcourt rotation that is no longer home to Warrior-turned-New Orleans Pelican Kevon Looney," Fischer wrote.
The Lakers have also been linked to a move for Horford, while the 39-year-old's departure from Boston may have been signalled by the Celtics signing their 15th player in Josh Minott on Tuesday, though the franchise could still make a trade to open up a roster spot and/or waive the non-guaranteed contracts of Neemias Queta or Jordan Walsh.