The next NBA moves for two former greats from two all-time SEC basketball programs were announced to end the week as the offseason approaches the start of free agency. Right now, players can negotiate with their current teams. With that, trades are also going down to clean the books or take advantage of the pre-free agency push. Fans of the Florida Gators and Arkansas Razorbacks can't complain about the teams that two of their programs' greats ended up on.
Al Horford is back with the Golden State Warriors on a two-year, $14 million contract to likely end his career in the Bay Area. Meanwhile, Fort Smith Northside and Arkansas Razorbacks legend Isaiah Joe was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Detroit Pistons.
Let's deep dive into what those signings mean:
Al Horford extends his career and signs likely last contract
Horford returning to the Dubs was a mild shocker. The chance to end his career on the Boston Celtics was right there. The one-time NBA champion and two-time national champion at Florida could still end his career elsewhere, but just by re-signing, it seems like Horford is making it clear he's enjoying riding into the sunset in Silicon Valley.
Horford will once again be the first big man off the bench in the Bay. During the 2025-26 season, Horford averaged over eight points per game, with five rebounds and 2.6 assists. His shooting efficiency was lacking, sitting below 43% for the season. It's unclear if his re-signing means Kristaps Porzingis, who was also on that Banner 18 title team in Boston and was acquired by the Warriors during this past trade deadline, will also return to San Francisco. His price tag may come in significantly higher than Horford's.
What it does signal is that Horford is on board with Golden State, running it back with Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, and, frankly, the rest TBD. For how long is the question. Is he back for one more year or to finish out the contract? Stay tuned to find out, I suppose.
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Isaiah Joe lands in perfect landing spot with the Pistons
Joe, a collegiate legend in the "Natural State" who owns the single-season three-point record with 113 made three-pointers during his 2018-2019 freshman season and a Class 7A state champion, landed in the perfect spot in the Motor City.
Joe now gets to be the backcourt counterpart to Cade Cunningham, who has fully blossomed as the alpha on the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season in 2025-26. Detroit is a contender, pending a resolution with Jalen Duren that delivers a good pivot, whether it's him or not. It'll take several moves to surpass the current New York Knicks in the East, but there's an opening at No. 2 if the Celtics trade Jaylen Brown.
While the Joe trade will be buried by higher-profile moves, it has the chance to be one of the most impactful this offseason. The Pistons added a perfect catch-and-shoot specialist that could flourish on the outer periphery of the Cunningham orbit. If they can add more talent in the paint and maybe one more shooting wing, Detroit could continue progressing through the playoffs as its core takes another step forward.
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