The Golden State Warriors acquisition of Al Horford has already been lauded by many in the NBA world over the past fortnight, but the sheer level in free agency upgrade continues to be massively underrated.
While Horford didn't officially sign until recent weeks when Jonathan Kuminga's contract drama was finally settled, the Warriors had clearly pinpointed the 39-year-old as their main free agency target after being eliminated in the second-round of the playoffs last season.
Warriors upgrade at center has been significantly underrated
Golden State were more than willing to allow 3x champion Kevon Looney to leave for the New Orleans Pelicans on a two-year, $16 million contract, with Horford eventually signing for even less after months of waiting on the Kuminga saga.
Speaking recently on his over/unders podcast with Zach Lowe and Joe House, The Ringer's Bill Simmons detailed exactly why the upgrade from Looney to Horford remains an underrated aspect heading into the season.
“Because part of the problem with them, just the way the league has changed, with just being able to put shooters around Steph to give him more space, right? And you're just flipping Looney for Horford is so massive for them," Simmons said.
Simmons also spoke of how Horford's addition will prevent the Warriors from having to play second-year center Quinten Post for 25 minutes each game, with the former 52nd overall pick emerging as a surprise rotation member in his rookie year thanks to his ability to space the floor from the five spot.
Post continues to be an offensive weapon with 10 3-pointers over the past three preseason games, but defensive and rebounding question marks continue to persist which suggests he should be nothing more than a backup and occasional fill-in starter at this early stage of his career.
The Warriors also still have Trayce Jackson-Davis on the roster heading into his third year, with the 6'9" big man showing more positive signs over the past couple of preseason games. While Jackson-Davis will likely get legitimate rotation opportunities throughout the season, his offensive limitations and the subsequent lack of spacing means that minutes will still remain sparse.
Horford is not only a major upgrade on what Golden State have in their two young centers, but an even bigger one on Looney whose minutes had reduced significantly with his own offensive limitations over the past two seasons.
While many are already aware of just how much impact Horford will have, it might take some regular season performances for everyone around the league to acknowledge how big a free agency signing this was.