Had it not been for Jonathan Kuminga’s uncertainty in this free agency, Al Horford might have already signed with the Golden State Warriors. Per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Warriors have a handshake agreement with both their free agency targets Horford and De’Anthony Melton. “Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are widely expected to sign with the Warriors, sources said. A handful of teams at NBA Summer League stated Horford and Melton already have verbal agreements in place with Golden State,” Siegel reported

After losing Kevon Looney to the Pelicans, the Warriors’ need for a reliable center is more than ever right now. And even though the deal is not official yet, Stephen Curry seemingly green-lighted the move. “He’s a champion, great player,” said Curry when asked about the Celtics legend. “When…if, when all that stuff happens, I’ll talk about it.” 

However, considering Big Al is already 39 and his best days might be way behind, does his signing actually solve the gap in Kerr’s team? Well, while the Dubs nation is going gaga over the veteran’s potential signing, Udonis Haslem of ESPN is thrilled about the idea.

“You are not addressing length and athleticism by just bringing in Al,” Haslem said, keeping it painfully real on ESPN’s NBA Today. “Love Al, but that is not the one that’s gonna push you over the hump.” At 39, Al Horford still brings value—he averaged 9 points per game last year and can still knock down the three like a dad in a YMCA rec league who refuses to miss. But Haslem isn’t buying it as the missing piece. “He does not address your needs… He does not address the need of athleticism.”

The ESPN analyst doubled down on his critique by reminding the Dub Nation of that playoff series versus the Timberwolves. The one where Golden State got muscled around like someone trying to hold their spot in line at In-N-Out on a Friday night. “You saw the lack of size glaringly against Minnesota last year,” he said. “You saw the lack of athleticism glaringly.”

And let’s be honest, even Al Horford in his prime might have struggled to body up a frontcourt full of skyscrapers. But at nearly 40? He’s more floor spacer than rim protector at this point.

Now, if the Al Horford deal does happen, it won’t be to take over at center long-term. That honor is quietly being reserved for… Quinten Post. Nope, that’s not a typo. A front office exec recently told Spotrac’s Keith Smith: “We’re really happy with Quinten. We think he can be a starting five in the league. He needs to improve on defense, but that will come. The shot, the passing, the interior scoring—it’s all there.”

Post is still raw, but he’s got guts. He started 14 games during the regular season and even got some playoff minutes. The team’s thinking is clear: Let Al Horford ease him into the role. Think of it as the NBA’s version of a temp-to-hire position.

To sum it up, the Warriors are dealing with:

• A guard shortage that would make an intramural team nervous

• A potential signing of Al Horford, who may or may not be the solution to problems he doesn’t actually solve

• The possible exit of Gary Payton II

• The theft of Josh Okogie by a rival

• And a 7-foot Dutchman holding the future of the center position in his hands

No pressure.

Al Horford is still in the mix—possibly even close to signing. But with Steve Kerr reportedly more focused on shoring up the backcourt, the Warriors might be moving in another direction entirely. Will they still go with the veteran stretch five? Or will they pivot, trust Post, and put their cap space into Brogdon or Melton?

One thing’s clear: If nothing changes soon, Golden State’s roster might end up looking like a ‘greatest hits’ album—full of aging legends, but not quite chart-toppers anymore.