This offseason, more than most others in recent memory, is truly do-or-die for the Golden State Warriors.
With Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler out until at least the middle of the next season, the Warriors desperately needed to add depth to their roster. Even if those players return at full strength, their existing veterans, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, are likely to miss at least 15 games each.
As Al Horford enters his age-40 season, he doesn't necessarily address that problem. If anything, his spotty availability contributes to it.
But given the options Golden State had available on the market to add another center to the roster, Horford's two-year, $14 million extension is about the best deal they could've gotten. Horford is still productive at this point in his career, and bringing him back for 2026-27 serves to answer at least one of the many lingering questions for the Warriors.
Per Shams Charania, Horford declined his $6 million player option in order to sign the extension.
Golden State's Al Horford is declining his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $14 million deal to stay with the Warriors, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Horford, 40, becomes only the 13th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons. pic.twitter.com/Tuu4oYb9hV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026
They now, at the very least, have a veteran locked down who can take on viable minutes at center.
Al Horford is still the backup big the Warriors desperately need, even at this age
Horford's first season in Golden State likely didn't go the way he or the organization hoped it would. He was limited to just 45 games by various injuries, and the Warriors' trade for Kristaps Porzingis showed exactly what sort of role Horford was destined to take on at this point in his career— a back-up, 15-20 minute-per-game big.
But when he was healthy, Horford's production justified that role. Across those 45 games, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc.
There was a thought that Horford would explore his options on the market this offseason. It's clearly his goal to win another championship before the end of his career, and the Warriors did very little during his first season to prove that they're capable of that. If Horford would have entered the market, there's likely at least a small number of contenders that would've viewed him as a potential backup big on a championship-caliber roster.
But assuming the Warriors re-sign Kristaps Porzingis, he'll be able to slide comfortably back into that role in Golden State.
Porzingis, in fact, adds another layer to this saga. He will enter unrestricted free agency this offseason, while Quinten Post will enter restricted free agency. Heading into the NBA Draft, the Warriors had zero player confirmed for next year's roster who could take on extensive minutes at the five.
Horford likely would not be Golden State's first choice to start at center, especially given his availability issues. But what this extension does, when you boil it down, is give the Warriors a degree flexibility in these negotiations and in their roster-building this offseason.
That's a valuable thing to have in general, and it's an especially valuable thing to have right after the conclusion of the NBA Draft.
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