TITLE: Al Horford’s New Warriors Deal Carries 15% Trade Kicker and Player Option
SLUG: al-horford-warriors-contract-15-percent-trade-kicker
CONTENT:
Golden State included a 15% trade kicker and a second-year player option in Al Horford’s two-year, $12 million contract, league sources told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
The 39-year-old center was the Warriors’ top front-court priority when free agency opened in July. Horford weighed signing with Golden State against retiring before opting for a 19th NBA season.
Veteran Adds Shooting and Defense
Horford averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 60 appearances (42 starts) for Boston last season, logging 27.7 minutes per game. He converted 42.3% of his field-goal attempts, 36.3% from three-point range and a career-best 89.5% at the foul line.
Data from GeniusIQ shows opponents posted a 46% effective field-goal rate on isolations against Horford, the NBA’s seventh-lowest mark in 2023-24. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he is one of four players in league history with at least 900 made threes and 1,300 blocks, joining Rasheed Wallace, Brook Lopez and Clifford Robinson.
Golden State’s Other Off-Season Moves
The Warriors also reached agreements with DeAnthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Will Richard and Seth Curry, and re-signed Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, $48.5 million contract that ended a summer-long stalemate.
Melton, 27, appeared in six games for Golden State last season before an ACL injury and a December trade to Brooklyn. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 2024-25 while shooting 40.7% overall and 37.1% from deep.
Payton, 32, enjoyed his healthiest campaign since 2021-22, playing 62 games (11 starts) and 11 playoff contests for head coach Steve Kerr. The defensive specialist recently completed a three-year, $26 million contract originally signed with Portland, where he played only 15 games.
Horford’s arrival and the flurry of signings give Golden State a deeper rotation as the franchise aims for another playoff run.
Source: Basketball Insiders
