(TheUltimateSportsBlog.com)
Welcome everyone to THE Ultimate Sports Blog live coverage of NBA and NHL Free Agent Frenzy. That's right, I'll be covering all the news from both leagues as 60 teams get ready to spend a lot of money. The NBA Free Agent market opened at midnight while the NHL Free Agent market opens at noon in the east. Buckle up.
Just a note, all news/rumors come from Adrian Wojnarowski (NBA) or Bob McKenzie/TSN (NHL). If they don't report it, I don't believe it.
Midnight-9AM
*News: New Orleans Pelicans sign Anthony Davis to five year deal worth $145 million.
Davis wasn't a free agent so the Pelicans were in no danger of losing him, but anytime you can lock up the best big man in the league and a top five player at the age of 22, you have to do it. This deal is now the richest contract in league history, surpassing Kobe's seven year deal worth $136 million signed in 04-05. That means Kobe will now sign a five year deal worth $150 million.
*News: San Antonio Spurs sign Kawhi Leonard to a five year deal worth $90 million.
He had a disappointing playoffs this past year, but he's still the future in San Antonio and one of the best defenders in the league. He was never going anywhere.
*News: Portland Trailblazers sign Al-Farouq Aminu to a four year deal worth $30 million.
Solid pick-up for the Trailblazers, who just traded Nic Batum and will likely lose Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge today. He's a good defender who can guard multiple positions, although he won't help them much offensively.
*Rumors: Brooklyn Nets close to re-signing Brook Lopez and Thad Young. Portland Trailblazers nearing max deal with Damian Lillard.
Most people figured Lopez and Young would stay in Brooklyn, who still need to somehow offload those terrible Joe Johnson and Deron Williams contracts. Good on the Blazers for locking up Lillard. They really needed to get that done since they've lost their entire starting five outside of him.
9AM-10AM
*News: Miami Heat sign Goran Dragic to a five year deal worth $90 million.
Not shocking. Everyone knew Dragic would stay in Miami. Now they turn their attention to Dwyane Wade.
*News: Anaheim Ducks sign Kevin Bieksa to a two year deal worth $8 million.
The Ducks traded for Bieksa yesterday and got him signed today. The Ducks were a game within the Finals last year, maybe Bieksa will be the piece that puts them over the top. The arms race in Los Angeles has been a lot of fun this past week with the Sharks getting Martin Jones, the Kings getting Milan Lucic, and now the Ducks adding Bieksa.
*News: Chicago Blackhawks sign Artem Anisimov to a five year deal worth $22.75 million.
Anisimov was a big part of the Brandon Saad deal yesterday and figures to be the Hawks second line center. He was good in Columbus, he has a chance to be great in Chicago.
10AM-11AM
*Rumor: Paul Millsap has narrowed down his list of teams to the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks.
Magic desperately need scoring so Millsap could be "the guy" in Orlando, but if he wants to win a bunch of regular season games before failing in the playoffs, he'll stay in Atlanta. This seems like an easy choice (The answer is Orlando. Who actually wants to live in Atlanta?)
*Rumor: Mike Dunleavy close to returning to the Chicago Bulls.
LeBron's first miss of the day.
*News: Chicago Bulls sign Mike Dunleavy to a three year deal worth $14.4 million.
Dunleavy is a key contributor on the Bulls, but they really need to shake things up if they hope to compete moving forward.
*Rumors: Greg Monroe is meeting with the Portland Trailblazers. Jimmy Butler leaning towards re-signing a five year deal with the Chicago Bulls.
Monroe is probably seeking advice from Oden. There was never a chance Butler would leave Chicago.
*News: Calgary Flames sign Karri Ramo to a one year deal worth $3.8 million.
If he's happy splitting time in Calgary, then good for him. Feels like he could've gotten more from a different team.
*News: Nashville Predators sign Mike Ribeiro to a two year deal worth $7 million.
Predators gameplan this offseason was the re-sign Mike Fisher and Mike Ribeiro. They've accomplished both.
11AM-12PM
*Rumors: The Edmonton Oilers appear to be the leading candidate for Andrej Sekera while the San Jose Sharks are the leading contenders for Paul Martin.
Sekera would be a huge get for Edmonton, who need a good puck moving defenseman with all their talented offensive players. Martin would be fine in San Jose, but they are a team who needs to blow up their core.
*Rumors: San Jose Sharks are no longer the leaders for Paul Martin. Colorado Avalanche are pushing hard to sign Francois Beauchemin.
So in the span of 10 minutes the Sharks went from the leaders to Martin to at least second. It's also NASCAR day. As an Avs fan, I'm hesitant on Beauchemin.
*News: Brooklyn Nets have signed Brook Lopez to a three year deal worth $60 million and Thad Young to a four year deal worth $50 million.
Lopez is a future Hall of Famer according to Samer Kadi so $20 million a season is probably cheap to him.
*News: San Antonio Spurs sign Danny Green to a four year deal worth $45 million.
All those rumors about Green going elsewhere turned out to be nothing as he smartly sticks with the Spurs. Got to think this puts them out of the LaMarcus Aldridge race.
*News: San Antonio Spurs trade Tiago Splitter to the Atlanta Hawks.
And just like that, the Spurs are back in the LaMarcus Aldridge race. The Spurs are the Spurs for a reason. The puts the Hawks out on both Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll. Could still retain one of them, but bringing back both is impossible.
12PM-1PM
*Rumor: Los Angeles Lakers didn't make a strong impression on LaMarcus Aldridge. San Antonio Spurs meeting with him now. A decision is expected today.
So you're telling me, "come play with Kobe" isn't a strong impression? I'm shocked. He's the Spurs to lose at this point.
*News: Toronto Raptors sign DeMarre Carroll to a four year deal worth $60 million.
A good pick up for the Raptors, who had a good regular season before flaming out in the playoffs. Carroll is a good two way player who makes the Raptors an interesting team heading into next season. Drake getting things done.
*News: Vancouver Canucks sign YannickWeber to a one year deal worth $1.5 million. Minnesota Wild sign Mikael Granlund to a two year deal worth $6 million. Toronto Maple Leafs sign Matt Hunwick to a two year deal worth $2.4 million. New York Islanders sign Thomas Greiss to a two year deal worth $3 million.
Nothing major here. Moving along.
*News: Colorado Avalanche sign Francois Beauchemin to a three year deal worth $13.5 million.
He's 35 years old on a three year deal. He'll be the Avs top defenseman alongside Erik Johnson. Hopefully this works out.
*Rumors: Edmonton Oilers close to signing Mark Letestu and Andrej Sekera.
Both would be strong pick ups for the Oilers.
Just a note: I'll probably miss a lot of minor NHL signings. You probably don't care about those anyway.
*News: San Jose Sharks sign Paul Martin to a four year deal.
They were the leaders, then they weren't, now they signed him. Welcome to NHL Free Agency. Good pick up, but again, they need to blow up their core that continues to fall short.
*Rumors: Phil Kessel trade rumors are swirling. Pittsburgh Penguins are still in on him and the Nashville Predators are now kicking the tires.
Oh boy, Steve Cook's team might make a HUGE splash that not many people saw coming. Kessel is the top prize to be had on free agent day, all you have to give up is players instead of money.
*News: Edmonton Oilers sign Andrej Sekera to a six year deal worth $33 million.
Big pick up for the Oilers. Now they just need a steady goaltender.
*Rumor: Dallas Mavericks are the front runners for Wesley Matthews
He'd be replacing Monta Ellis. If he comes back strong following injury, he's a good pick up for the Mavs although they lack a dominant ballhandler.
*News: Colorado Avalanche sign Blake Comeau to a three year deal worth $7.2 million.
Good addition to the bottom six. Big fan of this signing.
*News: Edmonton Oilers sign Mark Letestu to a three year deal worth $5.4 million. Philadelphia Flyers sign Michal Neuvirth to a two year deal worth $3.2 million.
Letestu is a good leader and will really help out with the young kids in Edmonton. Neuvirth was the top goalie on the market even though he was 7-20 last season. That tells you how weak the goalie market is this year.
*News: Arizona Coyotes sign Brad Richardson to a three year deal worth $6 million. Calgary Flames sign Michael Frolik to a five year deal worth $21.5 million.
Richardson is a good depth forward. The Flames are putting together a strong offseason, trading for Dougie Hamilton and now signing Frolik. Money might be high on Frolik, but the money is going to be high all day.
*News: Toronto Maple Leafs trade Phil Kessel, Tyler Briggs, Tim Erixon, and a second round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Nick, Spaling, Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, a first round pick and a third round pick.
Kessel + Crosby spells trouble for opposing defenses. Pittsburgh is all-in this year. Their depth and defense is still an issue though. Spaling helps the Leafs immediately, but otherwise they are banking on young talent panning out.
1PM-2PM
*Rumor: Toronto Maple Leafs close to signing P.A. Parenteau
KESSEL'S REPLACEMENT!!!
*News: Nashville Predators sign Barrett Jackman to a two year deal worth $4 million. The Arizona Coyotes sign Zbynek Michalek to a two year deal worth $6.4 million.
Good depth defenseman for the Preds. Steve Cook should be happy. Coyotes get back a guy who I always viewed as underrated. St. Louis defense takes a bit of a hit in losing both guys.
*Rumor: Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are progressing on a multi-year deal.
When Dragic took less money, it was a sign that Wade would get the money he wanted. He did good job trolling this past week or so, but I never thought he was leaving Miami.
*News: Toronto Maple Leafs sign P.A. Parenteau to a one year deal worth $1.5 million
Always liked Parenteau in Colorado, so I wish him luck in Toronto.
*Rumor: Wesley Matthews is meeting with Toronto Raptors.
Toronto is a sports hotbed today.
*News: Tampa Bay Lightning sign Erik Condra to a three year deal worth $3.75 million.
Good addition to their depth, which really let them down in the Finals and wasn't good all playoffs.
*News: Nashville Predators sign Cody Hodgson to a one year deal worth $1 million.
Hodgson is a very skilled player that the Predators can take a chance on. This could be another Viktor Stalberg situation though.
2PM-3PM
*News: Vancouver Canucks trade Zack Kassian and a fifth round pick to Montreal Canadiens for Brandon Prust
Canadiens wanted to get tougher, well they've certainly done that with Kassian, who brings nothing but toughness. Seriously, he really can't do much of anything besides be tough. The same goes for Prust.
*Rumor: Tyson Chandler appears to be headed to Los Angeles, either to the Lakers or Clippers.
I still think the Clippers/Mavs swap Jordan and Chandler.
*News: New Jersey Devils sign John Moore to a three year deal worth $4.8 million.
It's pretty shocking that the Coyotes let Moore, 24, walk after one season. This signing could pay off huge for the Devils.
*News: Chicago Bulls sign Jimmy Butler to a five year deal worth $95 million.
A lot of restricted free agents cashing in today in the NBA.
*Rumor: Paul Millsap leaning towards re-signing with the Atlanta Hawks.
Even though they traded for Splitter, they lost Carroll. Can't afford to lose both of their big free agents. They aren't the Blazers.
*Rumor: St. Louis Blues are open to trading Kevin Shattenkirk.
Not buying this one. He's still on a relatively cheap contract and is one of their three best players.
*News: Cleveland Cavaliers sign Kevin Love to a five year deal worth $110 million.
Looks like Cleveland will be returning most of the team that dominated the East last year. Unless LeBron pulls a fast one, which would be hilarious. Lakers swinging and missing today.
*Rumor: Memphis Grizzlies are close to a deal with Mo Williams.
Proven scorer off the bench and a great back-up for Mike Connley. LeBron got Love to return, but he's missed on Dunleavy and Mo.
*News: Cleveland Cavaliers sign Tristian Thompson to a five year deal worth $80 million. Phoenix Suns sign Brandon Knight to a five year deal worth $70 million.
Thompson played well with Love out, but with Love healthy, he becomes the third big and that's a lot of money for your third best big man. After having too many guards, Knight is now the primary guard in Phoenix.
*News: New York Rangers sign Viktor Stalberg to a one year deal worth $1.1 million.
We'll see if he can live up to his potential in New York.
3PM-4PM
*Rumor: The San Antonio Spurs kept their meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge simple and are still the front runners to sign him.
Yup, just a simple 3 hour meeting. My vision of this meeting is that Pop said, "Do you want to win?" Aldridge said yes, and then they spent 2 hours and 59 minutes watching watching Star Wars.
*News: The Phoenix Suns sign Tyson Chandler to a four year deal worth $52 million.
I don't think anyone saw this coming. It's a good pick up for the Suns and completely baffles me that it got done. Have to think the Suns will be making a trade or two in the next couple of days.
*Rumor: The Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green have broken off contract talks.
Oh boy. First the Suns swoop in and sign Chandler, now Green could be in play. After a dead hour or so, things have gotten interesting again. Green is a restricted free agent, which means the Warriors can match any offer, but now they might have to spend more than they originally wanted to.
*Rumor: The Suns are meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge, hoping to use newly signed Tyson Chandler to lure him to Phoenix.
All of a sudden Phoenix is becoming major players.
*News: Boston Celtics sign Amir Johnson to a two year deal worth $24 million.
The Celtics were surprising competitive last season. Johnson is a solid big that fits with Brad Stevens' hard working and defensive style. They still need to find a scorer.
*News: Oklahoma City Thunder sign Kyle Singler to a five year deal worth $25 million.
Shocked that Singler got a five year deal. He's a solid backup to Durant, though. Now OKC just needs to get the Kanter deal done.
*News: Detroit Red Wings sign Mike Green to a three year deal worth $18 million.
The Wings have been linked to Green via trade for at least a year now so it makes sense that he goes there via free agency. They definitely paid a hefty price for him.
4PM-5PM
*Rumor: Detroit Red Wings are talking to Brad Richards.
Richards was a bargain for the Blackhawks last year, he could be the same bargain for the Wings this year.
*Rumor: The Lakers are out of the running for LaMarcus Aldridge. The Spurs are still in the lead while the Rockets, Suns, and Blazers are in contention.
Sounds like the Lakers were never really in it. I'm thinking he stays in Portland or heads to San Antonio.
5PM-6PM
*Rumor: The Boston Bruins are one of the teams looking to sign Matt Beleskey.
The Bruins have done a lot of re-tooling this offseason. Look for them to overpay for Beleskey.
*News: Detroit Red Wings sign Brad Richards to a one year deal worth $3 million.
Richards actually got a raise, which is a bit surprising considering that he didn't light the world on fire with the Blackhawks. Wings throwing money around today.
6PM-7PM
*Rumors: Rajon Rondo wants all of the Sacremento Kings $10 million cap space. If the Los Angeles Clippers can keep DeAndre Jordan, they feel they can sign Paul Pierce to the mid-level exception. Iman Shumpert will meet with other teams as talks with Cleveland Cavaliers stall.
Of course Rondo wants as much money as he can get, but he proved last season that he's not worth it. I've always thought that Piece would end up with the Clippers whether they keep Jordan or not. Losing Shumpert would be a big deal for the Cavs as it puts more pressure on LeBron defensively.
*News: Boston Bruins trade Reilly Smith and Marc Savard's contract to Florida Panthers for Jimmy Hayes.
So Boston gives up a slightly younger and slightly better player in this deal. Typical of the Bruins offseason thus far. I guess he really wanted to get rid of Savard's contract.
*News: Boston Bruins sign Matt Beleskey to a five year deal worth $19 million.
They got him for a lot cheaper than most figured they would. The Bruins finally did something right this offseason.
*News: Memphis Grizzlies sign Brandan Wright to a three year deal worth $18 million.
Just what the Grizzlies need, another big body who likes to play psychical down low. I'd love to see the practices between him and Zach Randolph.
*News: Atlanta Hawks sign Paul Millsap to a three year deal worth $59 million.
After trading for Splitter, Hawks sacrificed Carroll in order to retain Millsap. I think they made the right move.
7PM-8PM
*News: Los Angeles Clippers sign Paul Pierce to a three year deal worth $10 million.
Not sure if this means Jordan is staying with the Clippers, but this news isn't surprising. Just another hateable player on the Clippers.
*News: Cleveland Cavaliers sign Iman Shumpert to a four year deal worth $40 million.
Looks like they are getting the band back together. I guess LeBron is just waiting for J.R. Smith.
8PM-9PM
*News: Arizona Coyotes sign Antoine Vermette to a two year deal worth $7.5 million.
Vermette's stock rose, dropped, and then rose again during last season and the playoffs. He'll be good for the Coyotes, but they are still many pieces away from contending.
*Rumor: The Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trailblazers appear to be the front runners for Greg Monroe.
He's going to the Blazers if they can't get Aldridge re-signed. He'd be an interesting fit with the Bucks though.
I've been doing this for 12 hours so I'm tapping out for the night. Thanks to everyone who followed along and keep checking back in at THE Ultimate Sports Blog for more free agency coverage.
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