Al Horford may not have even signed with the Golden State Warriors to this point, but his patience is already proving a virtue to the franchise and is winning the respect of fans this offseason.
Like many of the current players left on the market six weeks into free agency, Horford is waiting on the futures of the four main restricted free agents and in particular Warrior forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Al Horford is happy to wait before signing with the Warriors
There’s angst among some Golden State fans that will remain until Horford officially signs, but the 39-year-old is happy to hold out and sign unless he wants to head into retirement as ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported on Monday.
The Kuminga situation continues to hold up business for them, keeping Horford in a holding pattern. But Horford is comfortable waiting. Retirement remains on the table, sources said, though the Warriors appear to be operating as if he is a firm part of their plan next season," Slater wrote.
While patience can also be respected among the likes of De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Seth Curry and others who could potentially be in the mix for the Warriors to sign, Horford is easily the highest calibre player on the market and the one that would generate the most interest if he was deemed available.
The Los Angeles Lakers were linked to the veteran center at the start of free agency but have since signed multiple players including centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes. The Denver Nuggets were also mentioned as a possible suitor for Horford given the uncertainty around the trade acquisition of Jonas Valancuinas and a possible move back to Europe, but a desire to keep the Lithuanian to his NBA contract took them out of the running.
Of course, Horford could still easily break Warrior hearts by announcing his retirement, leaving them with a major hole at the center position that wouldn't be easily filled. It doesn’t look like he’ll be rejecting them to return to the Boston Celtics or join a rival though, something he could have easily done by now had he lost patience with how Golden State are handling the Kuminga situation.
Horford is expected to sign with the Warriors on the $5.7 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, becoming their starting center on a team looking to make one more push for a championship with the current veteran core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.