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The Atlanta Hawks are fighting within the NBA Play-In Tournament race as the regular season is coming down the stretch. With the Hawks currently the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, Atlanta has the advantage over the teams below them in the standings for the play-in race.
After making significant moves at the NBA trade deadline and battling injuries, the Hawks have finally started to find a groove. Making the playoffs is a real possibility for the group.
During the most recent NBA offseason, Trae Young let it be known that he wants to win. Rumors have swirled about potential Young trades, sparking a complicated debate on the star's trade value among other franchises.
With Young eligible to sign a max contract at the end of the season, many are wondering if the guard will agree to an extension now, or wait until he is a free agent at the end of next season to make decision on his future.
In an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Friday, Young was asked what the guard sees for the future of this team and where he thinks it could go.
"It’s hard to determine the future," Young explained. "I’m so stuck in the moment right now and focusing on what they wanted me to do this year by trying to build these young guys and give them confidence.
"I’m focused on that and not focusing on the end result. At the end of the day, focus on getting better every day and letting the results come as they go."
Young signed his rookie scale contract in 2022 which was for five years, $215 million. The star has one more year on the deal before he has a player option for the 2026-27 NBA season.
More must-reads:
- Luka Doncic takes the blame for significant Lakers loss
- Steph Curry joins Michael Jordan, LeBron James in exclusive scoring club
- The '60 points in an NBA game' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
NBA makes decision regarding Celtics star Jayson Tatum
The NBA has rescinded a technical foul Jayson Tatum received on Wednesday. Tatum was handling the ball for his Boston Celtics as his team trailed the Miami Heat 83-77 late in the third quarter. Davion Mitchell was playing tough defense on Tatum, who then threw a pass toward teammate Jaylen Brown across the court. The ball was tipped and went out of bounds off Brown, giving the ball to the Heat. Tatum protested the call by clapping his hands to get official Tyler Ford’s attention and then tried to signal that he thought the ball had gone off Miami. Tatum was immediately called for a technical foul after clapping at Ford. The technical foul call gave the Heat a free throw, which Tyler Herro made to extend Miami’s lead to 84-77. The league announcing that they are rescinding the technical foul helps out Tatum but doesn’t take away the point the Heat received. Miami won the game 124-103 to end Boston’s nine-game winning streak. The technical foul call Tatum received on Wednesday brought him to 14, so having it rescinded drops him back to 13. He is now three technical fouls away from the magic number where he would receive an automatic suspension. Tatum recently expressed some frustration over his struggles with the officials. He admitted after Monday’s game that it’s challenging to navigate matters with the officials. “Depending on the night, some things that you say on a Tuesday it’s cool. You say them on a Saturday, they give you a tech. I ain’t got that s–t figured out yet. I’ll let you know when I do,” Tatum said. Tatum scored 16 points on 4-of-17 shooting in the game.
Analyst names clear winner in Cowboys' trade for Patriots' Joe Milton III
On Thursday, the New England Patriots surprisingly agreed to trade backup quarterback Joe Milton III and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys in return for a 2025 fifth-round choice. Later in the day, ESPN's Seth Walder named the Cowboys the clear winner of that transaction. "If the Patriots were going to move on from Milton," Walder said, "I thought they would get more than this. He was a sixth-round pick a year ago and — even with all the caveats of the circumstances of his one game — surely his stock has gone up since then, right? Instead, they got back only close to what they paid for him. Several teams will surely use a fifth- or sixth-round pick on shaky QB prospects later this month." Milton became the subject of numerous trade rumors after he completed 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown against mostly backups in New England's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills this past January. The 25-year-old also rushed for 16 yards and a score on 10 carries in that contest. As recently as Wednesday, it was suggested that the Patriots would hold onto Milton through the upcoming draft unless the club received a third-round pick for his services. After all, New England had him under contract for the next several seasons, and he could've given the club protection if first-choice starter Drake Maye became unavailable for any reason. "Perhaps new coach Mike Vrabel felt Milton's performance was a mirage and preferred the higher floor of the recently signed Joshua Dobbs as his backup option," Walder added about the Patriots' possible mindset. "Even if that's true, I still would have expected them to get a little more value for Milton. And in the absence of that, I'd rather roll the dice on him developing further." On Thursday morning, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that "the Patriots had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for him." According to Schultz, the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers "showed interest" in Milton this offseason. Meanwhile, Milton will become a backup for a Dallas team that gave starter Dak Prescott a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed this past September. It will likely be bad news for the Cowboys if Milton takes a meaningful in-game snap before 2026 as soon as possible.
Roger Goodell reportedly has strong opinion about tush push
NFL owners are split on whether to ban the tush push play heading into the 2025 season, but commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly has a strong opinion. The Green Bay Packers submitted a formal proposal last month to ban the tush push, which has been made famous by Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. NFL owners could have voted at their meetings in Florida this week on whether to approve or deny the proposal, but they instead decided to table the discussion. The conversation will likely be revisited at the next owners meetings in May. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Goodell wants to see the tush push banned. During the latest episode of her “Scoop City” podcast, Russini was asked by co-host Chase Daniel to name the number one reason she believes the tush push will be gone in 2025. She pointed to Goodell’s opinion of the play. “Roger Goodell does not like the play. He thinks it’s ugly,” Russini said. “He doesn’t think it’s a football play. … The fact that this was tabled tells me that they’re gonna ban the tush push this year. They’re gonna find a way to get it out of football. Some of (the owners) want to be in line with Roger Goodell. I think some believe it’s an ugly play. I think whether or not they’ll admit it or not: If you can’t beat it, ban it.” The language of the Packers’ proposal calls for implementing a rule that would “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.” The play would result in a 10-yard penalty. The proposal could be revised to inspire more owners to vote in favor of it, but as of now, at least 16 would reportedly vote against it. 24 of 32 owners must vote in favor of the proposal to pass. Those who have argued in favor of the tush push ban say the play increases the risk of injury for players, though there has been no known data to support that. There was a previous report that Goodell wanted the tush push removed from football. The league responded by claiming the commissioner did not have a stance on the issue, but that is apparently not the case.
Yankees Cut Veteran Reliever as Devin Williams Returns
The New York Yankees designated right-hander Adam Ottavino for assignment Friday morning to make room for closer Devin Williams, who was reinstated from the paternity list ahead of the series opener in Pittsburgh. Ottavino, 39, signed with the Yankees on April 1, and made two scoreless appearances, totaling 1 1/3 innings for the Yankees. When he joined the club as a last-minute signing on Tuesday, Ottavino acknowledged the temporary nature of the opportunity, saying he wasn’t sure how long the stint would last. That answer came surprisingly quickly. The Yankees needed to clear a roster spot with Williams returning after missing two games. Ottavino, signed as short-term bullpen depth, became the odd man out. At his signing, Ottavino, a New York native, admitted it was a last-minute offer. Williams, 30, is expected to resume closing duties immediately. He last pitched on Opening Day (March 27) against the Brewers. He earned a save despite a shaky ninth inning, allowing a run on two hits and two walks. Ottavino’s brief second stint in pinstripes now heads to the waiver wire. The Yankees have seven days to trade, release, or outright him to the minors. Given his veteran status, Ottavino will have the option to refuse a minor league assignment, which he did at the end of spring training when the Boston Red Sox designated him. The Yankees open a three-game set in Pittsburgh Friday afternoon, with Max Fried making his second start. Williams is expected to be available out of the bullpen.
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