As the majority of teams in the Western Conference continue to lock down talent upgrades in an effort to dethrone the reigning champion OKC Thunder, the Golden State Warriors are at a standstill when it comes to their individual pursuits.
Throughout the offseason, reports have been that the Dubs and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga have been miles apart with their contract negotiations.
The latest news pertaining to the situation is that the forward and his camp declined a two-year, $45 million offer from the organization.
Not only is this negotiation stalemate a burden for the Warriors on account of the fact that they find their relationship with the former lottery pick slowly deteriorating, but it also limits the club's ability to officially add their rumored top free agent target, Al Horford, due to the unknowns of available funds.
Now, though consensus belief was that the veteran big would remain patient while Golden State figures things out with Kuminga, recent rumblings suggest that Horford may be deciding on another career move that, if pursued, could be both a huge blow to the Warriors and a major win for the Thunder.
Al Horford may retire instead of helping Warriors try to dethrone Thunder
While the widespread buzz is that Horford and Golden State have their sights set on a team-up if the big man continues his playing career, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater, a return for year 19 is far from a guarantee.
Per sources close to the NBA insider, Horford "is comfortable waiting" for the Kuminga dilemma to be resolved, though the idea of retirement "remains on the table" as well.
At the moment, the belief is that the center's preference is to be active for the 2025-26 season. However, the longer he waits around, the more enticing calling it quits on his already Hall of Fame-worthy career may become.
While he certainly has proven capable of providing quality contributions to title-winning and contending teams during these latter stages of his career, as he's dropped 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and just shy of a block on 46.5 percent shooting from the floor and 38.8 percent shooting from deep over the past two years in Boston, now 39, the man is clearly in the twilight of his playing days.
His per-game averages and impressive advanced metrics aside, from his speed and athleticism to his questionable ability to withstand the full grind of an 82-game regular season (followed by however many rounds of the playoffs his team partakes in), there's no doubt that Horford has lost a step in his game.
With this in mind, the longer it takes for Golden State to come to a decision on Kuminga, the more time the veteran has to ponder the idea of officially riding off into the sunset, which, if he were to hang up his sneakers, would leave the Dubs at a significant disadvantage and force them to continue their long-lasting search for an answer to their lackluster pivot position.