Could vet Boston Celtics big man Al Horford end his career back with the Hawks or Bucks?
But new reporting from ESPN's Marc J. Spears suggests that the Hawks, Bucks, and even Lakers might have a shot at landing the veteran big in free agency this summer. "Golden State obviously expected him to sign last week, he didn't (sign)," said Spears via MassLive's Brian Robb. "Lakers, Milwaukee, and Atlanta, I believe are also interested in a nearly 40-year-old guy who also has retirement on the table."
"He's still considering retiring, he's not in any hurry," added Spears. He's got a sixth kid coming on the way, he lives in Atlanta and Boston in the offseason."
"I'm hearing that whether it's Golden State and a lesser extent to the Lakers, being away from the family that far isn't going to be in that decision," he related. Atlanta would make for an interesting bookend to a Hall of Fame career, and the Bucks could offer a real role in making the team into a club with a shot at being in the thick of things if they can add a bit more guard depth.
Celtics fans are understandably irked by a potential Los Angeles team up, but the chance to play with Luka Doncic and perhaps LeBron James still looms large. Horford deserves to land wherever appeals most at this stage of his career, however, and we are learning that many things we assumed to be likely with him may not be what he is looking for based on these reports.
Wherever he lands, we wish him the best.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
DJ Chark turning heads at Falcons camp
The paint isn't even dry on his new contract, but DJ Chark is already making noise in Atlanta. The Falcons shared a quick clip on social media showing the veteran wide receiver hauling in a clean over-the-shoulder grab during practice, adding a fire emoji and tagging the receiver like a proud hype man. A simple post sharing on (formerly Twitter) showing the support on the new signee of the team bringing excitement to fans of what he could be next to the already star studded receiving corps. With questions surrounding Atlanta's wide receiver room outside of Drake London, Chark's performance in camp could be one of the under-the-radar storylines worth watching. He's been a starter in this league. He's gone for 1,000 yards. And when healthy, he's still one of the fastest, most vertical threats in the league. The connection with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. could be a key subplot heading into preseason. Whether he ends up as WR2 or a deep-threat specialist, Chark's ability to stretch the field adds another layer to a retooled Falcons offense. It's just one catch. One rep. One tweet. But for a team looking to bounce back and turn potential into production, moments like these are exactly how you start to build trust. Chark's heating up. The Falcons took notice. So should the rest of the league.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Adrian Morejon's long-awaited ascension has come just in time for Padres
ST. LOUIS — Two months ago in Atlanta, Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon threw a 2-2 pitch to one of the most dangerous hitters on the planet. There were two outs in the bottom of the seventh, and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., playing in his first big-league game in a year, stood in the batter's box. The former National League MVP had already smashed a 467-foot leadoff home run, proving he was worth the wait that followed a second catastrophic knee injury. Advertisement Then the pitch, which left Morejon's hand at 91.2 mph, arrived over the plate. Acuña waved at it. Morejon pounded his glove as he hopped off the mound. The debut of his new changeup was a success. It's a kick-change, a pitch that has gained popularity around the game. Morejon grips it with his middle finger spiked on the ball, 'kicking' the axis forward on release and producing tailing movement. The results, in a small sample, have been noteworthy: Beginning with that Acuña at-bat on May 23, Morejon has thrown 27 changeups this season, all to right-handed hitters. Opponents are 0-for-10 with five strikeouts against the pitch. It's another reason Morejon has emerged as one of the best relievers in baseball. 'Watching him now get to this point in his career, the guy that we knew we had signed years ago, is very gratifying,' Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. Morejon, too, is proving worth the wait. He is only 26, but it has been close to a decade since he went from a heralded international amateur to a touted professional prospect, costing the Padres $22 million between his signing bonus and overage taxes. Along the way, he has been a 20-year-old rookie. He has also been a longtime project. He made at least one trip to the injured list in five consecutive seasons. For a while, he appeared on the verge of becoming an expensive bust. Now, after staying on the mound throughout a breakout 2024, he is still ascending. Morejon's 50 appearances are tied for the third most in the majors. He leads all relievers with eight wins. His 1.72 ERA is the lowest on a Padres team that leads the league in bullpen ERA. His 'expected' ERA, 1.75, is the lowest in the sport. He is fulfilling lofty projections — finally, and just in time. Advertisement Days before the trade deadline, the Padres have obvious flaws as they cling to the National League's final wild-card spot. They also have a clear strength that continues to buoy dreams of October. That league-leading bullpen has hoisted San Diego to a 36-24 record in one- or two-run games. Only one team, the San Francisco Giants, has played more of those games. No other bullpen features multiple All-Star setup men. 'It's very, very challenging to make an All-Star team in that role,' Padres manager Mike Shildt said. That's how effective Morejon and Jason Adam have been. That's how effective Morejon and Adam have been. Neither is San Diego's closer, a job that belongs to major-league saves leader Robert Suarez. The Padres this month sent all three pitchers back to Atlanta's Truist Park, marking the first time one team has had so many All-Star relievers. Jeremiah Estrada remains another standout; Shildt calls his high-leverage collection the 'Four Horsemen.' WE KNOW THAT'S RIGHT — San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 11, 2025 Morejon, like Adam, became a revelation after adjusting his arm action. In late 2023, near the end of another injury-marred season, Niebla discovered what might have ailed Morejon for years. Biomechanical assessments revealed that the lefty's arm slot, having moved higher over the previous few seasons, was no longer working in harmony with the rest of his body. Niebla had Morejon lower it back to where it was in 2020. Then, in 2024, Morejon made 60 appearances, more than double his previous career high at any level. He recorded a 2.83 ERA. He relegated his four-seam fastball in favor of his sinker. The latter pitch averaged 97.4 mph, another career high. The lowered arm slot was the impetus behind all of it. 'It helped his rotational planes match what the slot is doing,' Niebla said. 'That, in essence, turned into better command, more velo and being able to be healthy more consistently or available more consistently.' Advertisement This year, Morejon continues to resemble the rare talent he was as a teenager. But a once-injury-prone starting-pitching prospect has developed into one of the most reliable late-game weapons in baseball. He has embraced the role, which is more comprehensive than it sounds. Morejon, just this season, has pitched everywhere from the fourth inning to the 10th. He has worked more than three outs 11 times. The volume of his usage is paired with striking efficiency: His per-inning average of 13.67 pitches ranks fourth among qualifying relievers. 'The mindset is matching the stuff now. Where, I feel in the past, it was just a little bit of — I don't want to say immaturity, but he was also young,' said Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz, who managed Morejon in short-season ball in 2017. 'I just think that the maturation process from him has been elite. We saw it last year, and he's taken another step this year again.' Niebla said Morejon, now on his own, can detect small variances in his arm angle and make in-game adjustments. The left-hander used to throw more of a sweeping slider; he now deploys a harder, tighter variation to complement what veteran catcher Martín Maldonado calls a 'bowling ball' of a sinker. And two months ago, the Padres felt Morejon was ready to introduce an addition to his repertoire. He used to throw a knuckle changeup, an outlier pitch that was occasionally devastating. But he had thrown it less and less often; for years, Morejon struggled to harness its unpredictable movement. So, early this season, Niebla and Fritz suggested a modified grip. A post shared by MLB on FOX (@mlbonfox) The birth of Morejon's kick-change ensued. Niebla calls it a 'half-knuckle change.' Fritz says it 'showed up immediately with good movement. And he threw it naturally. He didn't have to try to manipulate the ball.' The coaches had Morejon get accustomed to throwing the pitch in catch play, then in pre-appearance warmups in the bullpen. Finally, on a May evening in Atlanta, Morejon debuted his new changeup against Acuña. The pitch's subsequent strikeout victims have included Ketel Marte, a three-time All-Star, and Mookie Betts, another former league MVP. Advertisement 'It is a good pitch. It pairs well,' Fritz said. 'I think you look at his arsenal and what he's typically doing to you — it's still a little bit of an element of surprise because he's thrown (only 27 knuckle-changes). … Any pitch that's overexposed is not going to be as well performing. But it does have a good profile, and we expect that the pitch should play well for him moving forward, even if the usage goes up.' It's the kind of pitch that projects to play into October. And it's another reason the Padres can dream of returning to that stage. 'In the first couple months, Ruben, Fritz and I were in the bullpen trying to figure it out, looking at all the numbers, seeing how well it would work,' Morejon said. 'We just messed with a couple things, but finally, it came out well in the way that it is now.' Some things, he knows, are worth the wait.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Braves rumors: Atlanta's Sean Murphy trade stance before 2025 deadline
The post Braves rumors: Atlanta's Sean Murphy trade stance before 2025 deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Atlanta Braves have been dreadful in the 2025 MLB season. With a 44-55 record, they are 10.5 games out of the NL Wild Card and should be selling off pieces. With the rise of Drake Baldwin behind the plate, rumors have been swirling that the Braves could deal Sean Murphy before the MLB trade deadline. ESPN's Buster Olney reported that Murphy will be staying put this year. 'Sean Murphy's name has been tossed around in trade speculation, but according to sources, he will not [be] available,' Olney reported. 'He's playing well this year and he'll be playing under a high value contract for the next three seasons — $15 million a year 2026-2028, plus a team option in '29. And the Braves are well set up with the RH-hitting Murphy and the [LH-hitting] Drake Baldwin perhaps sharing the catching and DH spots into the future.' Murphy was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Braves before the 2023 season. He was fantastic behind the dish in his first season in Atlanta, posting a career-high 21 homers and 68 RBIs. His 2024 campaign was dreadful, with only 78 games played and a .636 OPS. But Murphy has bounced back this year with some competition from 24-year-old Baldwin. The Braves have said that they won't trade anyone with multiple years of control at this MLB trade deadline. They expect to be good next year, which is fair considering their championship core. Chris Sale could fetch a big return, as could Murphy, but don't expect anything Earth-shattering from Atlanta. The Braves could ship out designated hitter Marcell Ozuna at the deadline, considering his expiring deal. Despite his disappointing .751 OPS and 13 homers this year, a contender could snag him. At 34 years old, he does not play defense anymore, which could tank his trade value. But anything the Braves get back at this deadline should be seen as a win in a lost season. Related: Braves rumors: Would Marcell Ozuna accept a trade? Related: Braves to rock on-brand uniforms for first-ever NASCAR venue game
