Al Horford Reveals Why He Left The Boston Celtics This Summer

The 2025 NBA offseason started incredibly slow in Golden State, but after finally sorting out the Jonathan Kuminga saga, they eventually got some business going. That involved signing Seth Curry and Al Horford to join their very talented rotation in 2025–26, with the team adding plenty of great veteran experience to this group.

Signing the latter wasn't a shock when it happened, but after spending some successful years in Boston, no one quite expected Horford to leave this summer. Unfortunately, the Celtics are dealing with some tough injuries and plenty of changes, with Horford revealing this is why he left the team.

According to Nick Friedell, Horford didn't think that the Celtics could contend for an NBA title anymore, and after the injury to Jayson Tatum, those fears were confirmed, pushing him into free agency.

While he's now 39 years of age, Horford was incredibly productive yet again in 2024–25, posting 9 points, 6 boards, and 2 assists in 27 minutes a game across 60 appearances for the Celtics. Now, he looks at the group of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green as one that can potentially compete for an NBA Championship, even in the loaded Western Conference.

Only time will tell whether or not Horford's feelings on the Celtics were correct, but if he can still contribute at a high level, this is a Warriors team that could be a genuine threat, even in arguably the toughest conference in NBA history out West.