As the Golden State Warriors brought in veteran center Al Horford in free agency this offseason, the team knew that they had found the best (and most cost-effective) solution to the gaping hole they had for a stretch-five.
Yet, an underrated part of this whole saga has been Horford's departure from the Boston Celtics, a process that must have been truly emotional for him, and, in a recent interview with The Athletic, Horford has expressed his desire to avoid such a move again, stating that he sees himself ending his career with Golden State.
While Horford's two-year, $11.6 million deal does include a player option after the first year, giving Horford the opportunity to seek out another contract if he so chooses, this resolution on his end should represent good news to Warriors fans everywhere.
Al Horford's faith in the Warriors has been proven time and time again
After four seasons and a championship with Boston, things unfortunately fell apart for Horford and the Celtics. Following Jayson Tatum's devastating Achilles injury in the second round of the playoffs, the organization ultimately needed to shed salary, dealing both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in money-dumping deals and indicating their desire to take a down year next season.
Horford, who is rapidly approaching the end of his career, had a number of teams interested in his services once he hit unrestricted free agency. However, as a result of the fit he saw with Golden State, he ultimately decided to wait out the turbulent Jonathan Kuminga saga that held the Warriors in a chokehold for much of the offseason.
That faith paid off when the Warriors granted him a multi-year contract, and Horford hopes that it will be the last one of his NBA career:
""I think at this point in my career, where I see everything, that is my expectation, just to be here.""Al Horford via The Athletic
Horford, in many ways, is the piece that could complete Golden State's bid for championship contention. As not only a reliable and experienced player, but also a career 37.7% 3-point shooter, Horford could provide the team with the combination of offensive and defensive skill-sets they need to round out their already existing veteran trio.
Moreover, his current contract lines up perfectly with the two-year championship window defined by Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green's contracts, delivering a strong indication that the front office views Horford as being part of this final run for this iteration of their franchise.