Lakers, Warriors Facing New Competition for Al Horford in NBA Free Agency

Al Horford has become a popular name following the first wave of NBA free agency. He’s one of the best players available and both the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers have been the most connected teams to him.

Following the Lakers’ moves to sign Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, the Warriors have been the perceived front-runner recently.

While those two teams had been viewed as the top competition to sign Horford, another contender has entered the mix as a potential landing spot.

So far this offseason, the Denver Nuggets have been very busy. They have traded Michael Porter Jr. in a deal for Cam Johnson, signed Bruce Brown, and pulled off a deal to acquire veteran center Jonas Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings.

Read more: Lakers’ LeBron James Trade Rumors Receive Huge Update

Valanciunas was expected to be a big backup center upgrade for the Nuggets, but he seems to want to take his talents to Europe.

Should he choose to find his way out of Denver to head overseas, the Nuggets would still need a backup center. Horford has now been connected as a possible target for them.

According to a report from Evan Sidery of Forbes, Denver is widely expected to pursue Horford.

“With the Nuggets now once again without a backup center, they are widely expected to pivot to pursuing Al Horford in free agency,” Sidery wrote. “The Warriors and Lakers are the only teams currently in the Horford sweepstakes, but Denver would instantly offer him an important rotation role.”

Not only could the Nuggets offer him a key role, they could likely offer him a very lucrative deal. If Valanciunas leaves, Denver would have its full MLE to work with.

Read more: Knicks Insider Urges Damian Lillard Consideration

Horford would be an excellent addition for the Nuggets. He would bring defense, the ability to score and shoot from the perimeter, and rebounding. Adding that kind of presence behind Nikola Jokic would be very valuable.

During the 2024-25 NBA season with the Boston Celtics, Horford played in 60 games and made 42 starts. He averaged nine points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game, while shooting 42.3 percent overall and 36.3 percent from the three-point arc.

Expect to hear more news on Horford in the near future. Keep an eye on Denver as a team that could make a strong push to land the 39-year-old center.

For more on the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.