Veteran Kevin Love will be in Utah's training camp
Kevin Love landed in Utah this summer as part of the three-team trade that saw Norman Powell move to Miami and John Collins to the L.A. Clippers. From the moment that trade became official, there was speculation — and maybe an expectation — that Love would be flipped to another team in a trade, or just bought out.
Love, 37, appeared in just 23 games for the Heat last season averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in the limited minutes he did play.
While not the All-NBA level player he was at his peak, Love is still a big who can space the floor as a shooter (35.7% on 3-pointers last season), a quality rebounder, an elite outlet passer and just a guy who knows how to play the game. As the season moves on and teams get a better understanding of their rosters (and injuries happen), there could be a team looking for veteran depth along the front line, and Love (making $4.2 million in the final year of his contract) would fit that bill. If not, Love is likely to get bought out after the trade deadline.
Rebuilding Utah is expected to be open to moving a number of its veteran players during this season. Love may be one of those, but for now he is in Utah and ready to suit up for the fourth team of his career.
Al Horford reportedly agrees to multi-year contract with Golden State Warriors
This signing has been expected since early in the offseason, but was on hold for months pending the resolution of the Jonathan Kuminga restricted free agency situation. Now, with training camps a day away, the Warriors can wait no longer.
Golden State and Al Horford have verbally agreed to a multi-year contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other sources. He leaves a Boston team where he helped mature their young core and was a key part of their 2024 championship run, and Horford essentially confirmed the deal with the Warriors by thanking Celtics fans.
Exactly what Horford’s new contract looks like still depends on how the Kuminga situation plays out (as Keith Smith of Spotrac explains). If Kuminga picks up the $8 million qualifying offer, Golden State can give Horford the full mid-level exception ($14.1 million this year, with raises after), hardcapping the Warriors at the first apron of the luxury tax. If the Warriors and Kuminga work out an extension before the Wednesday deadline (likely for north of $20 million a season), the Warriors can still offer the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7 million), and the team would be hard-capped at the second apron. Either way, the Warriors have to sign at least four more players with De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and Seth Curry expected to make up three of those (all for the minimum).
Horford, 39, is a natural fit at a floor-spacing center backing up (at times next to) Draymond Green in the Warriors’ offense, plus he remains a solid defender. That’s why the Warriors targeted him early in free agency. Horford wants to compete for something in the final couple of years of his career, and the Warriors — with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler — provide him with that opportunity, if this older squad can stay healthy when the playoffs roll around.
MLB playoff picture: What does Tigers-Red Sox mean for AL playoffs?
The 2025 Major League Baseball season enters its final weekend today.
And with three teams battling for two spots in the American League, two teams fighting for the final spot in the National League, and a host of division titles and seedings left to determine, the final weekend of play could be one for the ages.
Arguably the biggest game of the day gets underway at 4:10 p.m. at historic Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers. Boston clinched a playoff spot in dramatic fashion on Friday night, when Ceddanne Rafaela laced a triple off the wall in center field to bring the winning run home and send Boston to the postseason in walk-off fashion.
But the Red Sox are still uncertain of their seeding.
As for the Tigers, despite looking like a lock for the playoffs earlier this season, with two games left, they are still fighting for their postseason lives.
Let’s dive into the playoff implications of Tigers-Red Sox.
Boston’s playoff picture
Last night’s dramatic win put the Red Sox into the postseason, and they are going to be one of the bottom two Wild Card teams. If the playoffs began today, the 88-72 Sox would be the No. 5 seed in the AL and would face their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees.
But with the AL East undecided, Boston could end up facing the Toronto Blue Jays, if the Yankees end up winning the East and the Blue Jays settle for the top Wild Card slot.
There is also a scenario where the Red Sox slide down to the final Wild Card spot. If the Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians each win their final two games, that would mean Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland all finish with matching 88-74 records.
The Guardians have already clinched the tiebreaker over Detroit, so in this scenario, Cleveland would be the AL Central champion. Detroit, with two wins over Boston this weekend, would clinch a tiebreaker over the Red Sox, so they would slot in as the #5 seed, dropping Boston to #6.
To avoid that scenario, the Red Sox need to keep winning.
Tigers’ playoff picture
On September 11, Detroit’s odds of winning the AL Central stood at 99.8%.
As the final weekend of the 2025 MLB season begins, those odds are down to just 30.7%.
Detroit can still avoid a collapse for the ages, but they do not control their own destiny in the AL Central. As noted above, the Guardians have already clinched a tiebreaker over the Tigers. With Detroit and Cleveland currently tied with matching 86-74 records, the Tigers need to get some wins and get some help in the form of losses by Cleveland.
Where the Tigers still control their own destiny, however, is in the Wild Card chase. Detroit has a one-game lead over the Houston Astros for a Wild Card spot, and the Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker over Houston already. That means a win today against Boston, or an Astros’ loss to the Los Angeles Angels later tonight, and the Tigers are at least in the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics signed Wendell Moore Jr to an Exhibit 10 contract. Moore is likely to land with the Maine Celtics of the G League following the preseason.
Moore split last season between the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets. In 36 NBA games, the 6-foot-5 wing averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
MLB playoff picture: What does Mets-Marlins mean for NL playoffs?
The 2025 Major League Baseball season begins its final weekend of play today.
And with three teams battling for two spots in the American League, two teams fighting for the final spot in the National League, and a host of division titles and seedings left to determine, the final weekend of play could be one for the ages.
One of the biggest games of the slate takes place in Miami, where the Miami Marlins host the New York Mets. The Marlins will be watching the playoffs at home with the rest of us, but the Mets — with their big payroll — are one of two teams fighting for the final Wild Card spot.
Let’s dive into the playoff implications for this game.
Miami’s playoff picture
The Marlins have a 78-82 record and have been eliminated from postseason contention. But they can certainly play the role of spoiler this weekend against the Mets.
Mets’ playoff picture
New York enters the final weekend of play with an 82-78 record, which has them in the fight for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. However, that is the same record as the Cincinnati Reds, the team they are fighting with.
Complicating matters for the Mets is the fact that Cincinnati has already clinched the season series between the two teams and the pivotal tiebreaker. If the Mets and the Reds finish the season with identical records, the Reds are in, and the Mets are out.
Here is what the Mets need this weekend to clinch a playoff spot. They can get in with a pair of losses by Cincinnati and at least one win over Miami. Or, with two wins this weekend, and at least one loss by the Reds, the Mets are in the playoffs.
New York can also be eliminated today if they lose to the Marlins, and the Reds defeat the Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets are also knocked out of playoff contention if the Reds beat Milwaukee in both games this weekend, or the Mets lose both of their games on Saturday and Sunday.
Thunder Sign Zack Austin, Jazian Gortman, Chris Youngblood To Camp Deals
The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Zack Austin, Jazian Gortman and Chris Youngblood to Exhibit 10 contract. All three players are expected to play for the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League this season.
Austin went undrafted out of Pittsburgh at the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game a senior for the Panthers.
Gortman spent part of last season on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. In 34 games with the Texas Legends of the G League, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 20 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Youngblood went undrafted out of Alabama at the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 10.3 points on 45/39/80 shooting splits as a senior for the Crimson Tide.
There isn’t a definitive timeline for 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Paul George to return from their respective knee surgeries, both players said Friday at the team’s media day.
Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke will undergo a procedure to address a knee issue, while Zach Edey (ankle) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (toe) have been cleared to begin ramping up basketball activities.
