Latest news with #TimBontemps
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Celtics Could Lose NBA Champion to Knicks in Free Agency
Celtics Could Lose NBA Champion to Knicks in Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Even before Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles, there were many questions regarding who would stay and who would go on the Boston Celtics this offseason. Being above the NBA's second tax apron, the Celtics will likely part ways with some of their players. Advertisement They also have some free agents this summer, including Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Torrey Craig. The most decorated of those free agents is obviously Horford, who has played seven years for the Celtics and has helped make multiple extensive playoff runs. The five-time All-Star will be 39 this summer, and while he has impressively continued to play at an NBA level despite his age, he still only has so much time left. With Tatum out indefinitely, the Celtics may not be able to compete at a high level, which puts re-signing Horford into question. Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42).© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images On "The Hoop Collective," ESPN's Tim Bontemps expressed his doubts as to whether Horford will stay in Boston. Advertisement "Al Horford is a free agent," said Bontemps. "I don't think at this point it makes a lot of sense for ... Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics, I think he's now much more in play than he might have been a month ago." By contrast, Bontemps believes the New York Knicks hold plenty of appeal to Horford as a destination. "Horford is a longtime friend of (Karl-Anthony Towns and) has played with him with the Dominican National team for a long time," Bontemps said. "If they go get Al Horford this summer, ... I think (he) would be an unbelievable fit on this Knicks roster." Advertisement The Celtics lost Horford the last time he hit free agency when he left to join the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. The last time the Celtics had former players join the Knicks in free agency was 2021 when Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier joined them. Related: NBA Legend Urges Celtics to Make Kristaps Porzingis Decision Related: Jrue Holiday to Clippers Trade Report Receives Update on Thursday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Could the New York Knicks poach veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford?
Could the New York Knicks poach veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford? At least one prominent NBA analyst seems to think there is a chance. Speaking on a recent episode of the "Hoop Collective" podcast, senior ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps suggested that the University of Florida alum could seriously consider decamping to the Knicks this offseason given Horford is a free agency with a murky future with Boston after the Achilles tendon tear to star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum threw a monkey wrench into Boston's short-term contention window. "Al Horford is a free agent," said Bontemps. "I don't think at this point it makes a lot of sense for ... Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics, I think he's now much more in play than he might have been a month ago." Advertisement "Horford is a longtime friend of (Karl-Anthony Towns and) has played with him with the Dominican National team for a long time," added the ESPN analyst. "If they go get Al Horford this summer, who I think would be an unbelievable fit on this Knicks roster." "(...) That's a team that could beat the Pacers next year," suggested Bontemps. "That's a team that'll be in the mix in the East." While Horford would be within his rights to pursue another title with a team on the come-up during a season Boston is almost certainly going to take a significant step back, it seems unlikely he would make a move akin to what Ray Allen did during the 'Ubuntu'-era Celtics in the early 2010s, when the UConn alum decamped to the rival Miami Heat. Advertisement The context may be different, but given that precedent and Horford's exit to the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of his first stint in Boston, we'd be surprised if the Dominican forward left Boston for New York, if at all. Another ball club out west -- or perhaps his near-hometown team, the Detroit Pistons -- could be a different story, however. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Could the Knicks poach veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford?
USA Today
27-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
With 10 wins in 11 games, ESPN keeps Rockets at No. 4 in NBA power rankings
With 10 wins in 11 games, ESPN keeps Rockets at No. 4 in NBA power rankings After 10 wins in 11 games, ESPN is listing Houston at No. 4 in its weekly NBA power rankings. Only Oklahoma City, Cleveland, and Boston are higher. In a battle of top-three teams in the Western Conference standings, the Houston Rockets (47-26) dropped a game to the rival Denver Nuggets (46-28) on Sunday night. But that's the only game that Houston has lost in its last 11 outings. Moreover, their advantage in the loss column was restored to two games when the Nuggets lost to Chicago a night later. Thus, Houston held its recently obtained perch at No. 4 in ESPN's weekly NBA power rankings. Each week, these rankings are based are based on where members of the network's in-house panel (Michael Wright, Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, and Chris Herring) think each team belongs at this juncture of the 2024-25 season. In rankings published Wednesday, Wright wrote of the Rockets: The Rockets usually don't squander prime opportunities for victories but that wasn't the case Sunday against the Nuggets, despite three-time MVP Nikola Jokic sitting out due to an ankle injury. However, Jamal Murray ran roughshod through the Rockets' defense, dropping 39 points to end Houston's nine-game winning streak. Houston coach Ime Udoka called the performance "sloppy" at a time when the Rockets are looking to tighten key areas for the postseason. Houston has established a physical, defense-first identity that Udoka needs his team to fully embrace in closing out the regular season. For most of the next game, Houston's defense looked much closer to its season-long form (No. 4 in the league) during Tuesday's win over Atlanta. The Rockets held Hawks star Trae Young to a relatively underwhelming night while forcing a game-high 5 turnovers. The next challenge for the Rockets will be maintaining their form away from Houston. While they've won 10 of 11, overall, it's worth noting that eight of their past 10 games have been played at home inside Toyota Center. Starting Thursday in Utah, they will embark upon a three-game road trip against the Jazz (16-57), Phoenix Suns (35-38), and Los Angeles Lakers (44-28). The Rockets are 27-11 at home and 20-15 in road or neutral-site games (Emirates NBA Cup 2024 semifinal in Las Vegas) during the 2024-25 regular season. The only teams ranked ahead of the Rockets by ESPN are those with superior records: the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-12, No. 1 in West), the Cleveland Cavaliers (58-14, No. 1 in East), and the defending champion Boston Celtics (54-19, No. 2 in East). Denver is immediately behind Houston at No. 5 in the league. More: After seven straight wins, ESPN lifts Rockets to No. 4 in NBA power rankings
