\
However, Horford doesn't appear to be in a rush to make a final decision regarding his current free agency. He could still opt to retire now, rather than chasing another championship ring. There's also the concern that Golden State's negotiations with Jonathan Kuminga are slowing down the franchise's ability to strengthen last year's roster.
During a recent appearance on ESPN's NBA Today, Anthony Slater detailed why losing out on Horford so late in the summer would be a tough blow for the Warriors, especially as Kevon Looney has already left the franchise.
"All signs point to Al Horford," Slater said. "They're certainly interested in him. If they're not able to get that done, if Horford, who you hear is also mulling retirement, is not on the roster next year, it's a big miss by the Warriors as it's in their plans. They need a stretch five."
Horford is the type of floor-spacing five the Warriors need. In recent years, he's become almost an exclusively perimeter-based threat, as he picks and chooses when to work out of the post or drive into the paint. He shot 36.3% from deep last season on 5.2 attempts per game, and 41.9% in 2023-24 on 4 attempts per game. Horford should fit well in Steve Kerr's five-out-based offense.
Furthermore, Horford will add some positional versatility to the Warriors' defensive rotation. Even now, with him closing in on his 39th birthday, Horford can guard multiple positions on the floor, rebound in traffic and his understanding of angles makes him a high-level drive deterrent. Pairing him with Draymond Green could unlock a new level of defensive efficiency from the franchise.
Unfortunately, Warriors fans may need to continue waiting for the veteran big man, as neither he nor the Warriors' front office appears to be in a rush to get the deal over the line.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warriors rumors: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry floated as potential free agent targets
The post Warriors rumors: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry floated as potential free agent targets appeared first on ClutchPoints. With the NBA free agency period and the offseason long underway, the Golden State Warriors are the one team in the league that has yet to make any roster additions via free agency or trade. The lone move involving the Warriors so far has been Kevon Looney's departure to the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency. But the Warriors have been linked to several free agents in recent days, including Ben Simmons and Seth Curry, as per ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel. While the Warriors have been mentioned as having free agent interest in players such as Gary Payton II, Malcolm Brogdan and Trey Lyles, Siegel notes that the team has shown recent interest in Ben Simmons and Seth Curry during the early days of summer league. The Warriors have several roster spots open, however, it's unlikely they make any moves until the Jonathan Kuminga situation is resolved. Kuminga is a restricted free agent and has drawn interest from other teams via a potential sign-and-trade, but there's no indication that the Warriors are looking to move on from him just yet. But when it comes to potential targets for the Warriors, Simmons and Curry would be pretty decent options for the team. Should the Warriors sign Curry, it would be the first time that he would play alongside his brother Stephen Curry on an NBA roster. Curry is coming off a solid season with the Charlotte Hornets during which he appeared in 68 games, including 14 starts, at a little over 15 minutes per game. He averaged 6.5 points and 1.7 rebounds and shot 45.6 percent from the three-point line at close to three attempts per game. For Simmons, following his buyout from the Brooklyn Nets, he signed with the LA Clippers and was rather solid overall in a reserve role. He's not going to be the No. 1 pick and All-Star he once was, but for a depth piece and rotation player, he can be a good pickup. During the second half of the season, Simmons appeared in 18 games for the Clippers off the bench in a little over 16 minutes per game. He averaged 2.9 rebounds, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with splits of 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 85.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Related: Warriors rumors: Dubs viewed as likely Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton landing spot Related: 6 Kevin Durant decisions that tarnished his legacy, ranked
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 19 - George Dempsey (1951-58)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the sixth of 13 players who wore the No. 19 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State guard alum George Dempsey. After ending his college career at King's College, Dempsey was picked up with the 69th overall selection (there were many more rounds in that era of the draft) of the 1951 NBA Draft by the(then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native played most of his five seasons in the league with the Dubs, leaving the team in his last season after he was dealt to the (then) Syracuse Nationals (now, Philadelphia 76ers) in 1958. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Dempsey wore only jersey Nos. 19 and 5 and put up 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stunning development for Nathan Cleary and brother as Tigers torched over Luai move
It was a family affair for the Cleary clan on Saturday as Nathan put on a clinic for the Panthers against the Wests Tigers. But his heroics might not have been the best performance of the day by a halfback named Cleary. Younger brother Jett produced his best game at NSW Cup level to date as the Warriors' reserve-grade team trounced the Rabbitohs 68-6. Jett scored two tries and had a hand in a plethora of others, while also slotting two conversions after taking over the kicking duties late in the game. Souths were absolutely decimated due to the injury crisis engulfing their first-grade squad, meaning NSW Cup players were playing up at NRL level. But it shouldn't take anything away from Cleary's performance, with the 20-year-old stepping up to reserve-grade level himself. Luke Metcalf's ACL injury has seen Tanah Boyd move up from NSW Cup to NRL, which in turn has seen Cleary promoted from Jersey Flegg (Under-21s) to NSW Cup. Saturday marked Cleary's third game in NSW Cup since Metcalf's injury forced a reshuffle, and the Warriors have won all three. Cleary hasn't missed a beat as the Warriors continued a historic winning streak with their 14th victory in a row. It's the all-time record for most-consecutive wins in NSW Cup. Jett continues to make a name for himself after splitting with his famous brother and father and heading across the ditch. The 20-year-old is a Penrith junior, but signed a three-year deal with the Warriors to try and forge his own path away from the Panthers. They started him in Flegg, it's good to see they are bringing him along slowly — James Cheeseman @ (@shaggy84329) July 27, 2025 Come home some day Jett. Good to see your career come along though — Michael Bianchi .. Panthers 1991-2003,21,22,23,24 (@Penropennies) July 27, 2025 Can he kick? Surely he gets a chance. Tannah Boyd is not the answer. — Rich Giovanni 'Conte' Mollo (@mollogio) July 26, 2025 He's going to look great back in the panthers jersey after this unofficial 'loan' ends - kids got talent — Sport Season (@NRLFan1967) July 26, 2025 Nathan Cleary in ominous form for Panthers Just a few hours after Jett's superb display, his brother Nathan was doing similar things at NRL level. Nathan had three try-assists and a line-break, while also kicking six from six conversions in the Panthers' 36-2 victory over the Tigers. The fact he's goal-kicking again means his groin injury is well behind him, and it's a scary sight for the rest of the NRL. The Panthers have now won seven-straight games in a stunning surge up the NRL ladder after sitting rock-bottom just two months ago. Ivan Cleary's side are now fifth on the NRL ladder and just three points behind the Warriors in fourth. "I'll be happy to make the top eight, really," said coach Cleary after being asked if his team can dare to dream of a top-four finish. "I'm very proud of the boys, the whole club really, the way we've just sort of hung in there and essentially just trusted what we do. It's funny how things fall your way a little bit when you're winning and it's probably the opposite when you're not. We can reflect more on that later on." Tigers' loss piles pressure on Benji Marshall and Jarome Luai The woeful loss for the Tigers has sparked questions of marquee signing Jarome Luai, who moved from Penrith on a $6 million deal last off-season. The $1.2m-per-year offer was too good to refuse as it allowed Luai to set his family up, but questions are being asked as to whether the Tigers overpaid. Luai won four premierships at Penrith, but has struggled while trying to be the main man at the Tigers and step out of Cleary's lengthy shadow. He hasn't scored a try all season and only has 10 try assists after 21 rounds. RELATED: Cameron Munster 'open' to switch to Melbourne Storm's rival NRL world all says same thing about Reece Walsh after Broncos loss One person wrote on social media: "As a Wests Tigers fan for nearly 49 years I am getting incredibly frustrated with the club! We paid big money for Jarome Luai for what! I thought he was the answer to turning the team around! Big mistake we do better without him!" Another wrote: "Luai was NEVER going to be a messiah for the club. He's good, but NOT that good. Wests Tigers need some hard-working raw-boned forwards to help (Terrell) May out. Then you might see some improvement. Sadly I don't think Benji's the answer as coach either." After a promising start to the season, the Tigers are now 13th on the ladder and just two points ahead of the last-placed Rabbitohs. The Titans' win over the Warriors vaulted them out of 17th place and put Wayne Bennett in danger of being handed his first wooden spoon ever.
