Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II Set to Return to Warriors
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Free-agent veterans Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II have agreed to sign with the Golden State Warriors, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
Veteran Trio Bolsters 2025-26 Roster
All three players are expected to join Golden State’s 2025-26 roster, giving head coach Steve Kerr additional depth while the club continues a contract standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Kuminga Remains Unsigned
ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported that Kuminga did not travel to San Francisco over the weekend and will skip Monday’s media day. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, on Sunday, but no progress has been made toward a new deal or a return before Tuesday’s first practice. The 21-year-old forward has until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET to sign his one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer.
Al Horford Opts for Multi-Year Deal
Agent Jason Glushon told ESPN that Horford has committed to a multi-year contract with Golden State after weighing retirement earlier this summer. The five-time All-Star averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 60 games (42 starts) for the Boston Celtics last season and is set to begin his 19th NBA campaign.
De’Anthony Melton Returns From ACL Injury
Melton, 27, re-signed after playing six games for the Warriors last season before an ACL injury ended his year. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 37.1% from three-point range. Golden State traded him to the Brooklyn Nets in February, but members of the coaching staff remained high on his play.
Gary Payton II Heads Into Tenth Season
Payton, 32, enjoyed his healthiest stretch since 2021-22, appearing in 62 regular-season games and 11 postseason contests. The defensive specialist, son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton, has spent the bulk of the past five seasons with the Warriors and recently completed a three-year, $26 million contract originally signed with Portland in 2022.
Roster Spots and Additional Moves
Golden State’s No. 56 overall draft pick, Will Richard, has agreed to a four-year deal with two seasons guaranteed, agents Jared Mucha and Marcus Monk of Excel Sports Management told ESPN. Horford, Melton, Payton and Richard are expected to occupy roster spots 9 through 13. The 14th spot remains open pending the outcome of Kuminga’s negotiations.
The Warriors also plan to sign veteran guard Seth Curry, but final salary-cap flexibility will not be clear until Kuminga’s situation is resolved, league insider Marc Stein reported.
Source: Basketball Insiders
