Having finally seen the roster come together in the past fortnight after a long offseason, much of the external focus on the Golden State Warriors has centered on their aging group and specifically the quartet of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and now Al Horford.
Whatever those outside the organization want to say about the potential of having four starters over the age of 35, it's clear that Horford isn't concerned thanks to the depth and young talent that the Warriors still possess on their roster.
Warriors have depth that could help cover for their veteran stars
Speaking to the media earlier in the week, Horford stated that he wasn't worried about Golden State's age profile as he prepares for what is his 19th NBA season and hopefully a run towards a second NBA championship.
"I feel like we have guys here who can step in and contribute and have big nights. It's a very long season and in the NBA, the teams who usually have more depth are the teams who are going to be more successful," Horford said.
Al Horford on the Warriors’ age and how they will offset some of the challenges that come with a team relying on a veteran core:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) October 7, 2025
“I’m not worried about it because of our depth. We have guys who can step in and contribute and have big nights. pic.twitter.com/qQjGFPEp6S
While many will look at the aging core, Horford is saying the quiet part out loud in terms of how the Warriors have been able to replenish their depth this offseason. Following February's blockbuster addition of Butler that saw them complete a 4-for-1 trade, Golden State was left needing to fill out the remainder of their roster on the fly.
Entering the playoffs they'd signed Kevin Knox, Braxton Key and Pat Spencer to end of season deals, all of whom had little future with the franchise on the main roster. Spencer is back on a two-way contract, but the other two have departed and a fighting for spots elsewhere around the league.
The Warriors have effectively replaced that trio and Kevon Looney with Horford, De'Anthony Melton, Seth Curry and impressive second-round pick Will Richard. That's a major upgrade in quality and depth, which is exactly why Horford isn't concerned like many outside of the organization.
Combine that with the improvement in some of Golden State's younger players and this is more than just a roster of a veteran quartet. Of course, the franchise's hopes in the playoffs are going to rely on the likes of Curry and Butler primarily, but in the regular season Steve Kerr should be able to put together a rotation that goes 10 or 11 deep and can compete on a nightly basis.