Faced with Jayson Tatum’s injury and a looming rebuild, Boston made the difficult but correct choice to move on from the beloved big man, whose production has sharply declined in Golden State.
BOSTON — The image of Al Horford hoisting the 2024 championship trophy as a defensive anchor and revered leader for the Boston Celtics is forever etched in franchise lore. But in the cold, hard calculus of building an NBA roster, sentimentality has no place. The Celtics’ difficult decision to let the five-time All-Star walk in free agency is now being validated by his significant decline in production with the Golden State Warriors.
Boston Celtics, Al Horford
Through the early part of the 2025-26 season, the 39-year-old Horford has looked like a shell of the player who was instrumental in Boston’s title run. In just 21.5 minutes per game with the Warriors, he is averaging a meager 6.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting a career-worst 36.0% from the field. His advanced metrics are even more telling, showing he has been a net negative on the court.
The Unmistakable Signs of Decline
The Celtics’ front office, led by President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens, saw the warning signs up close. Horford’s Value Over Replacement Player (VORP), a key all-in-one metric, has been on a steady downward trajectory:
2022: 3.2
2023: 2.5
2024: 2.5
2025: 1.3
2026: Negative to start the season
This data, combined with his impending 40th birthday in June, made the choice clear. With Jayson Tatum facing a long-term Achilles injury, the Celtics pivoted toward a pragmatic retooling rather than clinging to the past.
A Legendary Legacy, A Timely Exit
For Celtics fans, this reality is a bitter pill to swallow. Horford’s redemption arc—leaving for Philadelphia in 2019 only to return and help deliver a championship—made him a beloved figure. His unique ability to defend stars like Joel Embiid while facilitating the offense was irreplaceable at his peak.
However, the Warriors’ experience confirms that “Father Time is undefeated.” Golden State, all-in on contention, signed Horford hoping he could be the stretch-five and rim protector Draymond Green had long desired. Instead, he currently ranks 388th out of 460 NBA players in win shares per 48 minutes, making him nearly “unplayable” by his previous standards.
While a playoff resurgence from the veteran can never be fully ruled out, the evidence is overwhelming. The Celtics made a painful but necessary business decision, cutting bait at precisely the right moment to secure financial flexibility and build a new contender around their star duo when the time is right.