Union Berlin head coach Mauro **** rinelli acknowledged that his side's continued defensive problems extend well beyond one system or one centre-back partnership after Friday evening's 1-3 home defeat against Schalke 04. The result leaves Union with one point from their opening three Bundesliga fixtures and, considerably more concerningly, ten goals conceded.
Lustrinelli's side opened the campaign with a chaotic 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt before suffering a comprehensive 4-0 away defeat at Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. Schalke then became the third consecutive opponent to exploit a defensive unit still attempting to adjust to significant tactical and personnel changes.
"It's a lot of small things," **** rinelli told Sky Germany when asked about the ten goals conceded. "We're too undisciplined. We're not keeping up with the opponent. And the opponent profits. They exploit it. And we need too many chances to score goals. The two things are decisive over the course of 90 minutes."
The warning signs predate the Bundesliga campaign.
GGFN highlighted Union's defensive instability throughout preseason, with **** rinelli experimenting with multiple formations while attempting to move the club away from the three-centre-back structures that had defined the era of Urs Fischer and his successors.

#goals #bundesliga #centre

The Milwaukee Brewers are not an organization known for producing many power bats, but rather a team that focuses on developing toolsy players to play their style of baseball.
However, Andrew Fischer seems to be an exception. In a Minor League system full of players like Brice Turang, the Brewers have a player who's more Kyle Schwarber than anyone else. Andrew Fischer blasted his 47th home run of the Minor League season on Thursday, the most by a player since the turn of the century. However, his strikeout rate makes him an atypical Brewer.
His 47th home run passed Ryan Howard's 46 Minor League home runs in 2004 with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Fischer is the first player to reach the 47 home run mark in a Minor League season since Tony Solaita in 1968.
Fischer's historic season is not over yet, as the Brewers' Double-A affiliate, the Biloxi Shuckers, still have four regular-season games left.
Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand-new baseball lifestyle brand!

#season #Baseball #andrew

Former Tennessee baseball star Andrew Fischer made history on Sept. 10, crushing his 47th home run of the season to break Ryan Howard's record for the most by a minor leaguer this century.
Fischer passed Howard, who hit 46 homers in 2004, with a solo shot to right field for the Biloxi Shuckers, the Milwaukee Brewers' Double-A affiliate. Fischer is the Brewers' No. 5 prospect and is hitting .272 with 113 RBIs between High-A and Double-A in 2026.
Fischer, a corner infielder, has hit the fifth-most home runs in a minor league season dating back to 1963, when the modern era began. He is eight home runs behind the all-time record of 55 home runs in a single season, set by Bill McNulty in 1974 with Triple-A Sacramento. That season, Sacramento played at Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College, which had a left-field wall only 233 feet away from home plate.
The most recent player to hit 50 home runs in a minor league season was Ron Kittle in 1982 with Triple-A Edmonton. Biloxi only has three regular season games left for Fischer to reach that mark.
Fischer has been on a tear since being called up to Double-A. His latest home run was his 27th in 69 games with the Shuckers — a 54-homer pace for a full 138-game Double-A season. He finished with the seventh-most homers in High-A (20) despite not having played there since June 13.

#runs #shuckers

Merlin Polzin led his new-look Hamburg side out for their first home league fixture at the Volksparkstadion on Sunday afternoon, hosting a Mainz team with a familiar feel to them.
As Nicolai Remberg and Nadiem Amiri led their teams onto the pitch, Hamburg's Nordtribüne paid a touching tribute to the late Kevin Keegan with a wonderful choreo before kick-off. The Englishman, revered in the Hanseatic City after his exploits in the late 70s, sadly passed away in July.
Hamburg suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund on the opening day, and Polzin saw fit to make four changes to the starting XI that turned out in the Ruhrgebiet. A busy deadline day saw three new arrivals at the Volksparkstadion, with David Møller Wolfe and Zakaria El Ouahdi thrown straight in for their debuts; Fabio Vieira, meanwhile, began on the bench.
The visitors made two changes themselves to their starting XI that drew 0-0 at home to newly promoted Paderborn last weekend, with Kacper Potulski and Stefan Posch replacing Dominik Kohr and Danny Da Costa in defence.
Urs Fischer's side made the stronger start to the game, with a mistake from Jordan Torunarigha allowing Sheraldo Becker to force a good save from Daniel Heuer Fernandes within the first ten minutes. Moments later, Mainz worked a good opportunity from a corner for Amiri to strike at goal, though the German international sliced his effort wide.

#hamburg #amiri #home #away

With Jonathan ****** inga, a player the Los Angeles Lakers had been pursuing all summer, off the board and heading to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers are almost out of options as far as two-way wings or forwards.
However, there is one intriguing two-way wing who is still available in free agency: Bruce Brown. Brown, an eight-year NBA veteran, remains unsigned after a strong year with the Denver Nuggets.
During a recent livestream for Bleacher Report, NBA insider Jake Fischer said that Brown is a possibility for Los Angeles.
"I think he's in the mix for the Lakers, a team that has had some interest in him for several years now," Fischer said.
Last season, Brown averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 ****** ists in 24.4 minutes a game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range. He returned to the Nuggets after spending the previous two years with the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans.

#angeles #year #years #kuminga

After a disastrous start under Bo Henriksen saw Mainz languishing in the bottom two heading into December, relegation looked a real possibility for the club despite securing European football just a season earlier.
With the club's hierarchy unable to hold out any longer, they pulled the trigger on the Dane before appointing Urs Fischer as their new head coach in December.
After a steady but unspectacular end to 2025 in his first few games in charge, the 05ers never looked back in 2026, losing just two of their opening 12 league games of the calendar year. Mainz eventually secured a comfortable 10th-place finish, putting any relegation fears to bed, while also reaching the quarter-finals of the Conference League.
The club will now look to take the next step under Fischer. With a full pre-season under his belt, those around the club will undoubtedly be looking forward to seeing what the new campaign can bring.
Mainz enjoyed an impressive and unbeaten pre-season campaign, winning seven of their eight fixtures while drawing the other.

#season #fischer #league #looked

The Los Angeles Lakers haven't given up on trying to ***** forward Jonathan ***** inga. They have been trying to acquire the free agent since early this summer, when they reportedly met with him and promised him a starting role.
After negotiations on a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks went dead a few weeks ago, they apparently restarted again, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Helin reported that the talks are now centered around Jaden Hardy, a guard Los Angeles acquired last month when it traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards.
Now, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says that the ***** inga saga will be resolved soon, as the Lakers compete with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the services of the 23-year-old.
"Comes down to Minnesota or Los Angeles," Fischer said. "Kuminga, I think, has seemed to prefer going to the Lakers. They have the most opportunity to negotiate there. …
"The Lakers have been selling him on this vision of having him start next to Luka [Doncic]. They're gonna have the spending power in theory to reward him next year if all goes according to plan. That's going to come to some type of conclusion here soon. I thought it could have happened last week, but I still have been told nothing to suggest that ***** inga's situation is not coming down to the Lakers or the Timberwolves."

#helin #fischer #timberwolves #according

For nearly two decades, The Smoking Musket has been a home for Mountaineer fans to celebrate the wins, agonize over the losses, debate the coaching hires, and share in all the chaos that comes with being a WVU fan. Now, just in time for an undefeated, "Return the Glory," "They Know What's Coming and Still Can't Stop It" football season, I'm excited and honored to take on the role of site manager and help shape where The Smoking Musket goes from here.
Taking over a site and community with this much history and love from Mountaineer fans is not something that I take lightly. I fully realize that I have D'or Fischer-sized shoes to fill and if I'm being honest, I would have never wanted to take on this role without the countless hours of entertainment that the previous stewards of this community gave me. The bottom line is that The Smoking Musket made being a WVU fan more fun for me, and I hope to carry on this tradition.
But I'm not doing it alone.
I'm also incredibly excited to introduce 2 new staff writers who will be joining us in this new era. Here is little bit of each of our backstories so you can get to know us:
Al Rawls- Staff Writer- I didn't grow up bleeding old gold and blue. I found this program the way a lot of people find the things that end up mattering most, by accident, mid channel surf, unable to look away. What kept me is what keeps most of us: that team has never played it safe a day in its life. Read option before it had a name, a coach who'd rather win ugly than lose pretty, quarterbacks who run like the play design is a suggestion. I'm based in Atlanta, which is where I get to write about the program from now.

#know #staff

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration will allow more beef to be temporarily imported into the U.S. without triggering higher tariffs, as he remains under pressure to cut costs and address affordability issues ahead of November's midterms.
Beef prices have climbed to record highs amid a sharp drop in the number of U.S. cattle, consistent consumer demand and limits on cattle from Mexico, where the animals are facing a flesh-eating pest. The U.S. president has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, a major beef exporter.
The president's plan, however, drew immediate skepticism from agricultural experts and backlash from cattle ranchers and conservative rural-state Republicans. Ranchers, normally some of the president's biggest supporters, are enjoying some rare profitable years and worry cheap beef imports will reduce cattle prices — and with it, the incentive to increase herd sizes.
"We all want lower grocery prices, but as I've said for months, we cannot do it at the expense of American producers," Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said in a statement. "Flooding the market with foreign beef hurts our livestock industry and undermines the long-term solution: growing the U.S. cattle herd to meet demand."
Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said in a social media post just hours after Trump's announcement that the president's "heart is in the right place," but importing beef will "harm our ranching families who feed the nation."

#cattle #demand #herd

From one beloved paper merchant employee to another, Jenna Fischer has sent love to Lucy Davis after the latter told fans that she has incurable breast cancer.
Davis — best known for playing receptionist Dawn Tinsley in the UK version of The Office — revealed her health update in an Instagram post on Tuesday, telling followers that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025 and the disease had metastasized to her bones.
More from Deadline
'The Office' Star Lucy Davis Reveals She Has Incurable Cancer
Bootleg 'The Office' Videos Show How Chinese AI Is Still Being Used To Plunder Hollywood IP

#davis #breast

Ricky Gervais has joined a wave of friends, former co-stars and fans reaching out to offer public support to Lucy Davis after the actress shared her terminal cancer diagnosis.
The 53-year-old star, who captured hearts as receptionist Dawn Tinsley in the original BBC hit The Office, revealed on Instagram that she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer 18 months ago.
Explaining that the disease has spread to her spine, right hip, and ribs, Lucy stated that the cancer is incurable and it is now too late for chemotherapy.
Following her candid post, The Office co-creator Ricky reached out directly on social media to send his love alongside a host of fellow actors, including The Office US star Jenna Fischer and filmmaker Edgar Wright.
Ricky showed his support by leaving a heart emoji beneath the post. Jenna, 52, played Pam Beesly – the US counterpart to Lucy's character Dawn Tinsley – in the long-running American adaptation of The Office.

#office #ricky #lucy #support

The Office star Jenna Fischer has shared a message of support for Lucy Davis after the British actor revealed that she has Stage 4 breast cancer.
Davis played receptionist Dawn Tinsley in the original British version of the sitcom, while Fischer played her U.S. counterpart, Pam Beesly, in the NBC adaptation.
In a post on Instagram, Davis said that she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer a year and a half ago. She said the cancer is incurable and that it is "too late for chemo."
"Beautiful post. Love you lots," Fischer wrote in the comments. She also praised Davis for speaking about continuing to work following her diagnosis, adding, "Let's spread that message far and wide! How working is such a comfort!"
In 2024, Fischer revealed she had been diagnosed with Stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer a year earlier. After undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, she announced she was "cancer-free."

#revealed

Lucy Davis has received an outpouring of love and support from her celebrity friends after sharing her "incurable" breast cancer diagnosis.
The British actress, who is known for playing Dawn in the original U.K. version of The Office, announced on Instagram on Tuesday that she was diagnosed with Stage Four breast cancer a year and a half ago.
Davis, 53, subsequently received an outpouring of supportive messages from her fans, co-stars and celebrity friends in the comments.
Her Office co-star Ricky Gervais simply left a heart emoji underneath her post, and her Chilling Adventures of Sabrina co-star Kiernan Shipka wrote, "I love you so much Lucy."
Meanwhile, Amanda Abbington, who used to be married to Davis' The Office co-star Martin Freeman, posted, "Sending you the biggest cuddle and all my love, love, love, love, love. You are and have always been an incredible f**ken woman (sic). I adore you. What larks we had when we worked together. Here if you need anything."
And Jenna Fischer, who played a character inspired by Dawn in the U.S. version of The Office, praised Davis for declaring that she still wanted to work amid her health battle.

#office

APHoops: The Cleveland Cavaliers may wind up backing out of sign-and-trade talks for Jonathan **** inga and Peyton Watson as James Harden and his camp grow impatient awaiting his contract, per JakeLFischer. "I would expect Harden to be paid handsomely."
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Cleveland Cavaliers may wind up backing out of …

#wind #backing #jonathan

Legion Hoops: Russell Westbrook on being a free agent: "I don't think about it honestly. I love playing basketball and if it happens, it works and that's my plan." (via CNN, h/t TheWestbrookEra)
x.com
NBA Courtside: Channing Frye says Steve Nash is a better overall player than Russell Westbrook: "Russell Westbrook is the most,top two most athletic guard ever to play basketball though. But, Steve Nash is a 50-40-90 guy. Where Russell has just God-given ability and motor that no one's ever seen ever before. So, Steve Nash is my guy. So, yes, Steve Nash is better than Russell Westbrook." (Via RoadTrippinShow) — 8/8/2026 x.com
One more pressing Kings note as relayed by The People's Insider Jake Fischer: League sources say that Sacramento covets a veteran point guard to mentor prized rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and is thus now weighing the prospect of bringing back Russell Westbrook … or bringing in Victor Oladipo to fill that role. The Kings were among the teams to attend Oladipo's recent workout in Las Vegas during summer league. — 8/4/2026 marcstein.substack.com
Jonathan Abrams: What if OKC had kept Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden? Excited to announce my next book, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND FEARLESS, coming 11/3—a deep dive into the trio that reshaped the NBA. Pre-order link: harpercollins.com/products/when — 7/31/2026 x.com

#league

Jake Fischer: 'The Mavericks would trade Klay Thompson. There's definitely been some type of buzz, framework, whatever, about a Klay Thompson-for-Nikola Jovic thing for weeks now… but it that was to happen, I think it would probably have happened.'
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: There's definitely been some type of buzz, framework, …

#type #buzz #jake

If there is a definite weakness on the Los Angeles Lakers' remodeled roster, it is the team's lack of a starting two-way forward or wing. That is at least one reason why it has been looking to acquire Jonathan ****** inga over the last few weeks.
Kuminga would be a sizable risk, given his below-average 3-point shooting, inconsistent defense and suspect attitude, although his potential is still high. One alternative that Lakers fans have mentioned as far as a trade target is P.J. Washington, who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks and spent some time alongside Luka Doncic there.
Now that the Mavericks have given a significant contract extension to Naji Marshall, some feel Washington could be a bit expendable for them. But if fans are dreaming of the Lakers making a play for Washington, perhaps they should keep dreaming.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Los Angeles hasn't made an attempt to acquire the 27-year-old forward (h/t Sports Illustrated).
"I haven't heard that the Lakers are making any pursuit of P.J. Washington," Fischer said. "His name just gets brought up by Lakers fans and by Mavericks fans with that trade mechanism, but nothing I've actually heard behind the scenes."

#given

The Los Angeles Lakers have recently been linked with a move for one of Luka Dončić's former Dallas Mavericks teammates. However, before the speculation could gain momentum, one respected league insider swiftly dismissed the possibility.
The Lakers have officially entered a new era centered around Dončić after LeBron James' departure from the franchise. Los Angeles has shifted its focus toward surrounding the Slovenian superstar with the right supporting cast.
Throughout the offseason, the Lakers have been connected to several notable names, including Dončić's former Mavericks teammate P.J. Washington. The speculation intensified after senior NBA writer Marc Jacobs reported that the Lakers and the Mavericks had engaged in trade discussions involving the versatile forward.
Amid this, league insider Evan Sidery revealed that Dallas has been actively making Washington available. That update naturally fueled speculation among fans that Washington could reunite with Dončić in Los Angeles.
However, veteran league insider Jake Fischer quickly dismissed the rumors, making it clear that he has not heard anything to suggest the Lakers are actively pursuing Washington behind the scenes.

#Lakers #former

APHoops: The Golden State Warriors have been linked to Georges Niang and Kelly Olynyk for veteran minimum contracts, per JakeLFischer. (via BleacherReport)
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Golden State Warriors have been linked to Georges …

#georges #olynyk

APHoops: The Bucks and Clippers have remained active in their pursuits of restricted free agent Peyton Watson, but a resolution may not come until early September as Watson and his agent, Rich Paul, are willing to remain patient, per JakeLFischer. Atlanta "was involved." Cleveland is interested in both ****** inga and Watson. (via BleacherReport)
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Peyton Watson resolution may not happen until September?

#peyton #agent #resolution

Amy Schumer posed in nothing but a plunging bikini while kicking off August.
The comedian went makeup-free while sharing a "no filter" glimpse of her idyllic yacht getaway.
The mom-of-one shares son Gene with estranged husband Chris Fischer.
Amy Schumer is kicking off August with a sun-soaked yacht getaway. In a photo dump shared on Saturday, the I Feel Pretty actress stripped down to nothing but a plunging floral bikini while giving fans a glimpse of her "no filter" vacation style.
Amy Schumer wears a blue swimsuit while putting on a wet suit
Credit: Instagram/Amy Schumer

#august #filter

Nadiem Amiri has now ended speculation surrounding his future by confirming that he will remain with Mainz 05 for the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. The 29-year-old recently picked up some media attention, not to mention some flak from club supporters, for refusing to commit to fully commit to the Rheinhessen ahead of the forthcoming Bundesliga season.
The 29-year-old German international made the announcement on Saturday evening during a meeting with supporters at Mainz's Austrian training camp in Kirchbichl. Amiri laid to rest all reports that he was considering a move to RB Leipzig.
"I did have a lot of offers, but my family and I decided that I would definitely stay here," Amiri said to thunderous applause from the ******* embled Mainz supporters.
Amiri remains under contract with Mainz through the summer of 2028. The midfielder has developed into one of the club's most important players and established himself as a senior German international since arriving from Leverkusen in January 2024.
His decision represents a significant boost for head coach Urs Fischer ahead of the new season. Mainz will retain a central creative figure, experienced leader and one of the most productive midfielders in the squad.

#amiri #bundesliga #international

New York City's pied-à-terre tax was designed to extract money from second-home owners wealthy enough not to live in the city full-time. A side effect no one planned for: it's pushing middle-class and working homeowners, people who already live in their houses, into estate-planning conversations they've never had before, at hourly rates they've never had to pay, for advice the wealthy have had access to for generations.
The rush of publicity accompanying the mayor's office highlighting a list of over 680,000 New York properties that could theoretically be subject to a new tax has inadvertently advertised how public most property data is. And it's advertised the benefits of seeking some totally legal privacy, or risk inadvertent doxxing, courtesy of Gracie Mansion.
"The wealthy and the ultra-high-net-worth have been in this game for a long time," said Myles Fischer, a partner who co-leads the Trusts and Estates practice group at Harris Beach Murtha. "The rest are sort of catching up." And that isn't cheap. Many middle-class and blue-collar homeowners are "being forced into a situation where they have to sit down with lawyers" to get planning advice that families with means secured years ago. After all, he added, "it's not that you have to be a rich person to have something worth protecting. We see it from across the board."
The trigger, in this case, was a public records disclosure. When the DOF released its supplemental pied-à-terre ****** sment file, the coverage focused on the penthouses and the LLCs holding them. But the unfiltered file swept in far more than luxury properties—it included modest homes in Bayside, single-family houses in Staten Island, properties whose owners may have had no idea their name, address, and ****** sed value were sitting in a publicly searchable dataset. Many still don't.
Fischer wasn't surprised by the reaction. "Anonymity is desirable when it can be achieved," he said, "but anonymity is also typically only one piece of the pie, so to speak. It's part of the tax plan, part of the estate plan, part of the ****** et protection, limitation-on-liability sort of pie." Privacy, in other words, is the door. The estate planning is what's behind it.

#wealthy #york

Jake Fischer: Philadelphia is sending Los Angeles its second most favorable of the Sixers' three seconds in 2027, for the Clippers to absorb Johni Broome, per source.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Philadelphia is sending Los Angeles its second most …

#jake #broome

Whenever a player who could've helped the Los Angeles Lakers ends up with another team, some fans simply ******* ume that the Lakers didn't go after him. But the team has been aggressive this summer in remodeling its roster after LeBron James left, and that aggression extends to players it struck out on.
On Sunday, Luguentz Dort, who was a key starter for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the last several years, was sent to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. Before that trade went down, the Lakers were reportedly one team that had interest in him, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
"Several teams expressed trade interest in acquiring Dort before he was traded to Atlanta, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat, league sources told HoopsHype."
Los Angeles has lacked defensive-minded wings, especially those who can also hit open 3-pointers, for a number of years. While Dort shot just 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range last season, he could've served as a nice piece for L.A.
About a month ago, NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote that the team had called the Thunder about Dort. Instead, it eventually added two-way wing Quentin Grimes and forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle in free agency. It is also hoping that 6-foot-5 rookie guard Cameron Carr will make it into its rotation and display some legitimate two-way ability.

#Lakers #dort

Republican Sen. Deb Fischer (Neb.) on Wednesday objected to a request from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) for unanimous consent to prohibit President Trump from using taxpayer money to further retrofit a luxury Boeing 747 gifted to the president from Qatar.
The GOP senator blocked Schumer's request to pass his Presidential Airlift Security Act, which would stop the Pentagon from spending more taxpayer money to modify Trump's new jet.
Schumer said Trump's decision to accept the jet to serve as the new Air Force One was another example of what he called "corruption" in the administration.
"Now he wants the taxpayers to fund his palace in the sky as well. Trump's $400 million foreign jet, the biggest gift a president has received from a foreign government ever, is anything but free. Taxpayers will have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to outfit Trump's luxury jet with the security upgrades it needs to serve as Air Force One," Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Fischer rose to object and pointed out that that Schumer's proposal had already been considered and voted down by the Senate earlier this year.

#president #fischer

During the slow time, the mind wanders. A question from a viewer during the summer run of #PFTPM sent my relaxed brain wandering in one specific direction. And with the annual Packers shareholder meeting coming on Monday, there's no time like now to trot it out.
The seeds were planted, deliberately or not, by Packers president and CEO Ed Policy. In a March 2026 interview with Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, Policy expressed an opinion that the current financial realities of NFL ownership make it harder for the only publicly-owned NFL franchise to compete.
“If you think about any other team, they’ve got deep-pocketed owners, most of them are worth significantly more than that, and they could sell less than 10 percent of their team, give up no controlling interest, and raise a heck of a lot more than that,” Policy said.
“Given the pace that the expenses have accelerated over the past few years, if we find ourselves falling behind, it’s going to be really hard to catch up. So, we have to keep ourselves in a position where we’re not falling behind.”
So what if the Packers eventually do fall behind? What happens if, at some point, the powers-that-be decide that the current business model doesn't work?

#business #current #falling #PFTPM

Connections matter in the NBA. It's become commonplace for former teammates and friends to join forces in the **** ociation (just look at the reigning champion New York Knicks). These bonds don't always lead to an NBA reunion, but they have to at least be considered during the offseason, especially in the case of the Boston Celtics and 3-time All-Star Bradley Beal.
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report insider Jake Fischer discussed how Beal's next landing spot could be tied to his friendship with Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Beal, who's about 5 years older than Tatum, was a mentor for the eventual 2024 NBA champion and the two grew up in St. Louis and both attended the same high school, Chaminade. That relationship that began in Missouri continued in the NBA and beyond, as Tatum even attended Beal's wedding last summer.
"Bradley Beal has got several options," Fischer reported. "I do think there is some Miami (Heat) interest...I wouldn't rule out Boston for Beal because of the connection with Jayson Tatum. I even asked about that today and I was told not to rule out Boston."
Beal played in just 6 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season before opting out of his player option. A season-ending hip injury prevented the 33-year-old from seeing the court much with L.A. and he hasn't played in more than 60 games in a single season since the 2018-19 campaign.
These injury concerns and the Celtics' current financial situation — the front office could only offer Beal a veteran's minimum contract or the bi-annual exception — make a St. Louis get-together less likely.

#star

A new rumor suggests a three-time All-Star is interested in taking his talents to the Boston Celtics because of his friendship with top star Jayson Tatum.
This has been a very interesting offseason for the Celtics, to say the least. Of course, they made the stunning trade that sent MVP contender Jaylen Brown to the same team that beat them in the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers. However, they also improved their frontcourt by selecting Chris Cenac Jr. in the NBA Draft and poaching Mitchell Robinson from top rival the New York Knicks. They also brought in greybeard guard Mike Conley.
Well, it looks like they could make another notable addition soon because three-time All-Star Bradley Beal could be headed to Boston, according to a new report from Jake Fischer.
"I do think there's some Miami interest there, and I would not rule out Boston for Beal because of the connection with Jayson Tatum."

#celtics #beal

The Toronto Raptors confirmed last week that their trade with the Los Angeles Clippers centered around Kawhi Leonard won’t be completed before the NBA wraps an investigation that’s captivated the basketball world. The league hired the law firm Wachtell Lipton to probe into a no-work, multi-million dollar endorsement deal the seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP signed with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental company ensnared in a scandal that revolves around the Clippers potentially circumventing the salary cap.
The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov released a report on Tuesday that divulges more information about the ongoing investigation, which has seemingly grown since its inception. In it, Vorkunov reports that, along with looking into whether the Clippers manipulated the cap by striking a deal with Aspiration for Leonard, Wachtell has inspected if Leonard had a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company.
Plus, the firm has sifted to determine if the Clippers improperly covered expenses for Leonard and weren’t reimbursed for them, according to The Athletic.
If Leonard is punished as a result of the NBA’s investigation, Toronto could back out of its agreed-upon trade, which was first reported on June 30 and is supposed to deliver the 35-year-old Leonard back to the Raptors, with whom he won an NBA championship in 2019. In return, the Clippers have been poised to receive two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram and Gradey ******* as well as first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round selections in 2030 and 2033 and a first-round pick swap in 2027, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Early last month, at NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s annual news conference leading up to the NBA Finals, he didn’t specify when Wachtell Lipton’s investigation report will arrive on his desk, although he did say it was “close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up.”