Al Horford Plans $14M Warriors Deal at Age 40

Al Horford told ESPN on June 25, 2026, that he plans to return to the Golden State Warriors next season, with ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reporting that the 40-year-old center intends to decline a $5,969,250 player option and sign a new two-year, $14 million contract once free-agency negotiations open on June 30.

The proposed deal, which ESPN's sources described as fully guaranteed and containing a trade kicker, would replace the existing option rather than extend it. The Warriors had not issued an official announcement at the time of reporting, so the terms remain attributed to ESPN until a transaction is formally recorded. Given that Golden State did not disclose terms when it announced Horford's original signing on October 1, 2025, it is not established that any future filing will make the financial details public.

The Option He Is Walking Away From

Horford's current Warriors contract carried a player option for the 2026-27 season, a clause that gave him, not the team, the right to keep the final year or enter free agency.

Spotrac lists the option at exactly $5,969,250, with a decision deadline of June 29, 2026. NBA teams and players may begin negotiating new contracts on June 30. contracts cannot be formally signed until July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET. By declining the option and agreeing to a fresh two-year deal worth $14 million in total, Horford would secure more guaranteed money over a longer term than the single option year would have provided.

Until the new contract is officially filed, the $14 million figure and all reported clauses should be understood as ESPN-sourced terms, not confirmed team figures.

What His First Warriors Season Showed

Horford played 45 regular-season games for Golden State in 2025-26, making 13 starts and logging 21.5 minutes per game. According to the Warriors' official final game notes, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three-point range and 84.6 percent at the free-throw line.

His season was interrupted by three separate physical issues. ESPN reported a sciatic-nerve problem that affected him during the November-December 2025 portion of the season. A left-toe issue required management later in the year. An April 4 Warriors injury update then confirmed a strained right soleus that cost him games in the final weeks of the regular season.

Despite those absences, Horford delivered in Golden State's most important game of the year. He made four three-pointers during the fourth quarter of a 126-121 Play-In Tournament win over the Los Angeles Clippers on April 15, helping the Warriors come from behind to keep their season alive. Two days later, Phoenix ended Golden State's run 111-96.

A Season Derailed by Injuries

The Warriors finished 37-45 and 10th in the Western Conference, a record that coincided with extended absences from the team's two highest-profile players.

Jimmy Butler III suffered a season-ending ACL injury in January, according to the Warriors' official injury release. Stephen Curry was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome and bone bruising, missing 27 games before returning in early April, per official team updates.

Horford appeared in 45 of 82 regular-season games. His 1.1 blocks per game average and his three-point shooting, 74 makes on 205 attempts, gave Golden State a functional, experienced option at center when its primary frontcourt contributors were unavailable.

The Career Behind the Decision

Horford has completed 19 NBA seasons. If he appears in a 2026-27 regular-season game, he would join a group of 12 players NBA.com identifies as having reached at least 20 seasons: LeBron James, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Kyle Lowry, Udonis Haslem, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. NBA.com also lists Mike Conley at 19 seasons, meaning the exact position in which Horford enters the group depends on how 2026-27 unfolds for both players. Signing a contract does not by itself complete a season. a game appearance is required.

Atlanta selected him third overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting that season and spent his first nine years with the Hawks, earning four All-Star selections. A fifth came during his first Boston stint, which ran three seasons from 2016-17 through 2018-19.

After one season with Philadelphia and 28 games with Oklahoma City in 2020-21, Horford returned to Boston for four more years. He won his only championship with the Celtics in June 2024, per the NBA's official Finals records, and remained with Boston through the 2024-25 season before signing with Golden State on October 1, 2025.

His NBA player profile lists five All-Star selections, one All-NBA nod, one All-Defensive selection and the 2024 title.

Career Earnings

Spotrac's player page records Horford's career earnings through the completed 2025-26 season at $290,871,768. A separate Spotrac career-earnings ranking page displays $296,841,018 because it counts the full current Warriors contract including the $5,969,250 option year Horford is reportedly declining, money attached to a clause he had not exercised, not a received-earnings figure.

Neither total represents his net worth. Salary figures do not account for taxes, spending, investments or any other financial factors. No audited or authoritative net-worth estimate was available at time of publication.

What Happens Next

The player option deadline is June 29, 2026. NBA free-agency negotiations open June 30, with contracts eligible to be signed from July 6. Once the Warriors file any new Horford contract with the NBA, the transaction will be confirmed, though Golden State did not disclose financial terms when it announced his 2025 signing, and there is no established basis for expecting the new deal's terms to be made public.

If completed as reported, the deal would keep Horford in Golden State through at least the 2027-28 season, when he would be 41 or 42 depending on where the campaign falls relative to his June 3 birthday.