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Boston Celtics veteran Al Horford has long been a pillar of leadership, but following the defending champions’ elimination by the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the 38-year-old big man left fans and media wondering about his next move. With the Boston Celtics roster expected to shift this offseason, Horford’s silence carries weight—and signals possible change.
After the 119-81 blowout loss at Madison Square Garden that ended the defending champions’ season, Jay King of The Athletic shared on X, formerly Twitter, that Horford was not ready to discuss what comes next.
“It’s too soon,” Horford stated earlier today. “I’m going to take some time here with my wife and kids and there’s still a lot for me to process.”
This statement reignited NBA retirement rumors, especially as the former Florida Gator just completed his 17th NBA season. While he remains one of the most impactful veteran defenders in the league, age and physical toll have become unavoidable considerations. The veteran averaged nine points and 6.2 rebounds during the 2024–25 season, continuing to stretch the floor with 1.9 made threes per game on 36.3% shooting.
Despite Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear in Game 4, the Celtics rallied to win Game 5 behind Derrick White’s 34-point outburst. Yet in Game 6, New York overwhelmed Boston early, and head coach Joe Mazzulla benched his starters in the third quarter.
Should Horford step away, it would mark the end of an era. He helped deliver an 18th banner to Boston in 2024 and has been the cultural backbone of this group. His presence shaped locker room dynamics and elevated teammates’ play—something Coach Mazzulla often praises.
The uncertainty surrounding the big man’s future will be central to offseason narratives. With the Boston Celtics roster needing strategic tweaks and Kristaps Porzingis facing health concerns, Horford’s decision could heavily influence Boston’s trajectory.
As Boston faces an identity crossroads, all eyes will remain on Horford and what comes next for a franchise chasing title No. 19.
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NBA Rumors: Jonathan Kuminga, Quentin Grimes, Russell Westbrook, free agency
Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency continues to drag on, leaving the Warriors in limbo. Golden State recently made a new three-year offer to their 22-year-old forward, but his agent has already said that taking the $8 million qualifying offer remains a real possibility. Until this gets resolved, the Warriors are stuck. They’ve been connected to veterans Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II, along with names like Seth Curry and Cody Martin, but those deals can’t get finalized until Kuminga’s situation is clear. Golden State technically only has 10 players under contract — the fewest in the league — and still has two unsigned draft picks (Alex Toohey and Will Richard) along with two-way RFA Taran Armstrong hanging out there. Grimes and the Sixers Quentin Grimes is another restricted free agent still waiting. Unlike Kuminga, there hasn’t been much noise around his talks with Philadelphia lately. The Sixers clearly like him, but time is running short with the October 1 qualifying offer deadline looming. Westbrook and the Kings Russell Westbrook remains the most decorated unrestricted free agent still on the market. Sacramento has been his only real link so far, but the Kings have been hesitant to make other moves while they keep an eye on Kuminga’s RFA process. A resolution there could open the door for Westbrook. Achiuwa Watch Precious Achiuwa surprisingly remains unsigned. He turned 26 this summer and has been on the radar for both EuroLeague teams and NBA clubs. Panathinaikos showed interest before pivoting to Richaun Holmes, while Miami has been linked but is limited by the tax line. Other UFAs There are still a handful of familiar NBA names floating around: Ben Simmons (who has considered retirement), Monte Morris, Cameron Payne, Malik Beasley (still tied to a gambling probe), Alec Burks, Mo Bamba and Thomas Bryant. Training camps are less than two weeks away, and jobs are scarce.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur explains what's making him upset
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur isn't happy after his team dropped a NFL Week 3 contest to the previously winless Cleveland Browns. It was a game that the Packers should have won, by all accounts. They gave in as a favorite on the road because over the first two weeks of the season, they looked like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. That's feedback the Packers were apparently taking to heart before the Cleveland game, in a bad way. This was a team that was clearly overconfident and a squad that perhaps got caught looking at the big picture rather than than the week-to-week grind of the NFL. Heck, offensive tackle Rasheed Walker was talking about an undefeated season before the Week 3 loss. "I think we can go undefeated, honestly," Walker had said. LaFleur calls out the Packers The end result of the Packers' overconfidence was a disappointing 13-10, last-second loss that was ugly, sloppy and uninspiring. The Packers suffered a terrible Jordan Love interception that swung the game, and they lost on a last-second field goal after having what could have been a game-winning attempt of their own blocked. On Monday, LaFleur was clearly fed up and frustrated. "I've said it a million times to you guys — I don't think I've obviously said it enough to our team — the goal is to go 1-0 every week," he said, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "And it pisses me off when we start talking about things outside of the next game. Things that are way down the road. Like, focus on, keep the focus on the present, on the now, and worry about getting better each and every day." Everyone else can look at the big picture, and for what it's worth, in the grand scheme of things, this is still a Packers team that can win the Super Bowl this season. They've got an elite defense that held Cleveland to zero points through three quarters, and when they're clicking, Love leads an offense that can put up points. A Week 3 loss won't determine the Packers' ultimate Super Bowl aspirations, but it's absolutely a sign that this team needs to get focused and stop reading its own press clippings. The phrase "any given Sunday" is around for a reason. The other team gets paid to try to beat you each and every single week, and the Packers clearly forgot that was the case with the Browns. Can they learn from it? That's clearly the message that LaFleur is trying to get across to his team. "I think it's always a good reminder, like, 'Hey guys, pump the brakes on everything. We're just trying to win one game at a time,'" LaFleur said. "And if you're thinking [beyond that] or have your sights set on anything outside of that, I think you're focused on the wrong things. Like, we've got to be focused on trying to get better. Obviously today, the focus is on first of all being honest about the tape and what the tape says, and then learning from that, and then it's moving on."
Details emerge on injury to Cowboys star wide receiver
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense endured another poor outing in Week 3. The team’s efforts to rebound will likely include a shorthanded unit on offense. CeeDee Lamb exited the Week 3 loss against the Bears with an ankle injury and did not return. It became clear afterwards that further testing would be needed to determine the severity of his injury. The All-Pro wideout now looks to be in line to miss time. “Certainly, he’s got a high ankle sprain and every one of those are different,” Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said of Lamb during a Monday appearance on 105.3 The Fan, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “We’d love to have him back for Green Bay but at the same time we also got to understand the injury is what it is and we’ll play it out.” The Cowboys will play the Packers in Week 4, so Jones’ comments leave the door open to Lamb managing to avoid any missed time. Based on the reports which have emerged Monday afternoon, however, it appears far more likely Dallas will be without him for a short stretch. A timeline of two to four weeks is being considered internally, as first reported by Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. Since then, both Archer and WFAA’s Ed Werder have pointed to an absence between three and four weeks. Provided those are accurate, Lamb can be considered a lock to at least miss the Cowboys’ upcoming game against a Green Bay defense featuring Micah Parsons. Injured reserve is not being considered in this case, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. As such, Lamb is eligible to return at any time without needing to miss a stretch of four games or longer. The four-time Pro Bowler being back at full strength will be critical for the Cowboys’ offense, of course. On the other hand, it would be sensible to proceed with caution while managing Lamb’s injury. That could especially be true with George Pickens in the fold. Pickens will be counted on to operate as Dallas’ top pass-catching option until Lamb is healthy. It will be interesting to see when that will prove to be the case as the Cowboys aim to improve on their 1-2 start.
Green Bay Packers, Micah Parsons see another Dallas Cowboys offensive starter ruled out for Week 4
The Green Bay Packers are coming off of a frustrating and humiliating loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Going into the game, many expected Green Bay to win easily, but they fell 13-10 in what was one of the worst games in Matt LaFleur‘s tenure as head coach. It was, by far, the offense’s worst game of the season, and the special teams was its usual disappointing self. The Packers defense, though, performed admirably once again, allowing 13 points on short fields. Rashan Gary had two sacks, giving him an NFL-leading 4.5 on the season. Micah Parsons, as has been his norm since arriving in Green Bay, was a wrecking ball, drawing double-teams and penalties while still generating pressure on the quarterback. And as the Packers look to get back to their winning ways, they look ahead to Week Four and a Sunday night showdown with Parsons’ former team, the Dallas Cowboys, who will be without multiple key offensive players. Micah Parsons the Green Bay Packers defense will face a depleted Dallas Cowboys offensive line It is yet to be seen what the Packers offensive line will look like when they play Dallas this upcoming Sunday night. Zach Tom only played one snap against Cleveland before leaving with his oblique injury and Aaron Banks left later in the game with a groin issue. Unfortunately, Green Bay’s depth on the offensive line was not good enough to overcome the formidable Browns defensive front, who made life miserable for Jordan Love all game long. But this Sunday, the Packers will not be the only team taking the field in Dallas with injuries on the offensive line. The Cowboys, too, will be without two of their own starters after rookie Tyler Booker was revealed to have suffered a high ankle sprain: Booker suffered a high ankle sprain to Dallas’ blowout loss to the Chicago Bears. While he finished the game, he is going to be out for the next 4-6 weeks. Additionally, the Packers will not have to worry about All-Pro Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who will also be out for multiple weeks with an ankle sprain. Much has been said lately of Parsons returning to Dallas for the first time since the trade. And, given how beleaguered the Cowboys offensive line is, he could be in for a big game.
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