The NBA free agency officially marks the beginning of the offseason preparations for the 2025-26 season. And the Warriors began their offseason by losing a key piece in their dynasty era, Kevon Looney, to the Pelicans in a two-year, $16 million deal.
Following his move away from the team, there is a major hole in their roster as they severely lack size now. Quinten Post, their only other conventional big, is a 7-foot-tall rookie who played 54 games for the Warriors last season. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in those games while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc.
Considering that Post is a stretch-big and not a conventional shot-blocking center, the Warriors need a defensive-minded center like Looney was. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Warriors are “locked in” on signing Al Horford in the wake of losing Looney to the Pelicans.
“SOURCES: The Warriors are locked in on getting to an agreement with Al Horford after losing Kevon Looney.”
The former NBA champion Al Horford is an 18-year veteran in the NBA. He has played for multiple teams like the Hawks, Celtics, and Thunder. He won his only ring with the Celtics in the 2023-24 season.
Horford brings a combination of skills to the table that the Warriors could use in the coming season. While he is originally a defensive shot-blocking big who averages 1.1 blocks per game for his career, he can also shoot efficiently, including from range. He is a career 50.9% shooter from the field, while shooting 37.7% from range. The five-time NBA All-Star averaged 12.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 1,138 regular-season games.
The veteran center would be the perfect addition for the Warriors as he brings not just the additional defensive skills that the Warriors need, but he can also be a guide for a young center like Post in the nascent stages of his career.
