All-Star Celtics free agent set to join rival team next week

Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Celtics free agent set to join rival team next week image

A critical Boston Celtics free agent is expected to join a rival club next week.

Per Marc Stein of Substack's The Stein Line, champion Celtics power forward/center Al Horford is expected to finally sign with the Golden State Warriors next week, following a tumultuous summer of uncertainty surrounding Golden State power forward Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency.

"Warriors veterans are expected to convene for a mini-camp of their own later this week before Golden State's training camp officially opens Sept. 30," Stein writes. "That knowledge inevitably makes you wonder how many of the familiar names Golden State has been expected for the past several weeks to sign once the Kuminga situation is resolved — Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II — can/will participate in that gathering if they haven't officially signed with the Warriors yet. None of those players can sign, remember, until after Kuminga does."

Horford, 39, will suit up for his 19th pro season.

The 6-foot-9 big man out of Florida continues to burnish his legacy as a fringe possible future Hall of Famer. Horford is a five-time All-Star, one-time All-NBA honoree, one-time All-Defensive Teamer, and was the primary center on a championship team. Although he was hired as a reserve, he wound up stepping in for nominal starting five Kristaps Porzingis during both of Boston's playoff runs with the latter big man.

Provided this deal goes down, Horford will serve as the first high level floor-spacing, starting-caliber center of All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry's career.

MORE NEWS: Insider urges Celtics to trade for $12.5 million rival big man

In 60 healthy games for the 61-21 Celtics last season, Horford averaged 9.0 points on .423/.363/.895 shooting splits, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals per.

Golden State's training camp this year is set to tip off on September 30. It's conceivable the Warriors will still be without Horford, Melton and Payton for a few practices, Stein writes.

Stein adds that the Warriors will also look to bring in Curry's sharpshooting little brother, Seth.

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Alex Kirschenbaum

Alex Kirschenbaum is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He grew up a devout Bulls fan, but his hoops fanaticism now extends to non-Bulls teams in adulthood. Currently also a scribe for Hoops Rumors, Sports Illustrated's On SI fan sites Newsweek and "Small Soldiers" director Joe Dante's film site Trailers From Hell, Alex is an alum of Men's Journal, Grizzlies fan site Grizzly Bear Blues and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others