Al Horford says he's returning to Warriors to play 20th season - ESPN

Al Horford plans to return to the Golden State Warriors next season, he told ESPN on Thursday.

Horford, 40, is declining his $6 million player option, with sources telling ESPN that he intends to sign a two-year, $14 million contract to return to the Warriors once free agency begins next month. Horford's new deal will be fully guaranteed and includes a trade kicker, sources said.

He will become the 13th player in NBA history to reach a 20th season, joining LeBron James, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Kyle Lowry, Udonis Haslem, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

«I knew a few off the top of my head, but I hadn't seen the list,» Horford told ESPN. «It's hard to believe. It's something that, for me, I'm very grateful. It's just so hard to be in this league for that amount of years. There's a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifice and time. I still feel like I'm able to contribute and have an impact on a team.»

Horford signed with the Warriors last summer after a four-season stint with the Boston Celtics that included an NBA championship in 2024. He joined what he believed would be a Western Conference contender, but the Warriors' season was derailed in January when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in the middle of a 12-4 stretch.

«I want to see it through,» Horford said. «That [injury] kind of put a damper on things. Jimmy is a very special player, and he was doing so much for us. I feel like things were starting to turn.»

Stephen Curry then missed two months because of lingering knee pain, and the Warriors limped to a 37-45 finish and the 10th seed in the West. Curry briefly returned for the stretch run, and the Warriors had a throwback win over the LA