Finals and semifinals up on ESPN3! Don't tell me! I'm about to watch USA Women's soccer first.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Down goes Chestnut! Down goes Chestnut! Matt Stonie is the new king of food with a 62-59 victory over Chestnut.
One of my first posts on this blog way back in the day was about Joey Chestnut beating then-unbeatable-champ Kobayashi. Chestnut was (until today) still defending that title! Eight straight anything is pretty impressive, Chestnut is clearly a Competitive Eating Hall of Famer (and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise!). We'll see if Matt Stonie can be the Nadal to Chestnut's Federer and rule Nathan's for the next decade.
Can't help but add this quote from the ESPN article:After his victory last year, he dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend. They have since broken up.
Ouch! Been a tough year for Chestnut, culminating in a performance way off his career high of 69 (couldn't even hit 60 this year). Feels like we're only halfway through the Joey Chestnut 30-for-30.
One of my first posts on this blog way back in the day was about Joey Chestnut beating then-unbeatable-champ Kobayashi. Chestnut was (until today) still defending that title! Eight straight anything is pretty impressive, Chestnut is clearly a Competitive Eating Hall of Famer (and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise!). We'll see if Matt Stonie can be the Nadal to Chestnut's Federer and rule Nathan's for the next decade.
Can't help but add this quote from the ESPN article:After his victory last year, he dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend. They have since broken up.
Ouch! Been a tough year for Chestnut, culminating in a performance way off his career high of 69 (couldn't even hit 60 this year). Feels like we're only halfway through the Joey Chestnut 30-for-30.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Signings and Such (Day 3)
Today's sweet action.
Jordan (Mavs): 4yrs/$80m, Matthews (Mavs): 4yrs/$64m. I'm kinda amazed the Clippers let Jordan get away, thought they would do whatever it took to keep him; they're gonna miss him, solid rocks down low are rare and they let him go. Matthews is an underappreciated scorer, a nice bookend for Parsons. The Mavs' summer is looking a lot better (and I guess the Monta sign-and-trade for Hibbert is off the table now but how about West?). They still need a table-setting PG. (Jameer Nelson? Looks like JJ Barea)
Brewer (Rockets): 3yrs/$23m; Beverley (Rockets): 4yrs/$23m. I thought Brewer had a good chance to get a really good deal somewhere else (same age as Afflalo who just got $8.5/per), guess he liked H-town living. Beverley too probably could've done better than $6m/per. They just made the conference finals (w/out Beverley, Motiejunas, Papanickolau, and Howard, Jones for stretches), guess they like their chances to get back. (The Texas teams are gonna kill each other this year)
Neal (Wizards): 1yr/$2.1m. Neal gettin' Steve Blake money to play 3rd string for the Wizards. I'm not a big Neal fan myself but he's a useful vet I guess.
Harris (Magic): 4 yrs/$64m. I like Harris, not sure he's worth Wesley Matthews money but the Magic gotta spend the money on the players they got. I think its a good signing and over time could be a great deal. Keep the youth movement rolling, let the players play and the Magic'll be fine for the next coupla years.
Derek Williams (Knicks): 2yrs/$10m. Like Thomas Robinson, a much maligned non-star player who has potential to be a fine role player. Not a game-changer but he can be a reliable rotation guy (especially for a crappy East team). NYK is doing a good job of nabbing the low risk/high reward players.
Belinelli (Kings): 3yrs/$19m. (Man, this is why the Kings suck) For the last ten years or so the Kings have done absolutely everything wrong (even drafting Cousins is of dubious value when managed this poorly), they just did a salary dump to get out from under the horrible decisions of the previous years, give away valuable draft options and their young cheap SG to sign...an old expensive SG. So you gave away Stauskus to make room for...Belinelli? What? Who does that? The Kings do that, that's why they're the Kings. (Belinelli just got Munson-ed) I like Belinelli, nice player, would be a better player on a good team but he'll shoot marginally better than Stauskus (and he'll stay way clear of the Cousins and the Karl), he's a pro, he'll suit up, take shots and collect checks like a reliable droog. For the Thunder or Pacers or Spurs, Belinelli could show up and make a difference; for the Kings he'll just look like a basketball player for the next three years. The rest of the new money is rumored to be going to Rondo, Josh Smith and Lou Williams...because the team wasn't combustible enough. Is that viable in the West? I doubt it but they'd be better than they've been in a while.
Rondo (Kings): 1yr/$9.5m. (What a weird looking contract) Rondo it is. (Josh Smith on the way?) Rondo could be just fine with Cousins, Rudy and the gang, but if it goes south, it'll go way way waaaaay south (and Rondo would be retiring this next summer). I'm optimistic, they'll catch people off guard, people will see what an unholy badass Demarcus is, might could sneak into the 8th spot (although Mavs cemented their spot in the top 8 today). Or it turns into a party at Polanski's house. Either way, probably a great year to be the Kings beat writer.
Dudley to Wizards; future 2nd rd pick to Bucks. I thought Dudley was actually a nice veteran off the bench for the Bucks, now he's doing it for the Wizards. The Bucks youth movement is already penciled into the playoffs, they're trying win now with the kids so I guess they think Vasquez is all the vet they need. Wizards'll play him, he'll get some of Pierce's minutes.
Robinson (Nets): 2 yrs (player option)/$2.2m; Larkin (Nets): 2yrs/$3m. Robinson's only problem in the NBA has been expectations. Kings, Rockets, Blazers, Nuggets, Sixers have all passed on this guy in the cheapest part of his career. When I watch him he looks just fine to me, definitely a quality 2nd stringer in this league, maybe a starter and clearly not too expensive. Why is he playing for the minimum on the most disappointing team in all of basketball? This guy couldn't get hired in Sacramento? Is he a total dick in real life or something. I dunno. I get that he's not an all-star talent but its too early to call him a bust; this guy might could last another 15 years in this league. He keeps getting chances because he's pretty good at basketball, I think he'll get paid (Danny Green style) one o' these day. Nets got themselves one of the best bargains of the summer. Larkin was disappointing for the Knicks last year but everything about the Knicks was disappointing last year, can't really evaluate him just yet. The Nets are getting a low risk/high reward 2nd string PG in Larkin.
Allen (Pacers): 3yrs/(undisclosed)$. I'm sure the price is right for the Pacers. Allen can play with Monta, Hill and George, continuity is good thing.
Baynes (Pistons)(couldn't find details). I remember Baynes from last summer's FIBA World Cup than from any of his time with the Spurs. He's got good hands, decent footwork, better offensive player than defensive player. Here he's meant to be a low cost replacement for Monroe. I guess he could work.
Wade (Heat): 1yr/$20m. Next year when the salary cap goes up, they'll be able to comfortably overpay Wade for a coupla more years of wearing a suit on the bench at Heat games. This is the bridge to the next bridge.
Kenyon Martin announces retirement. Every once in a while some old movie or TV star dies and you go, Oh really? I thought that dude died like ten years ago...yeah, this is one of those. Martin had some good years for some good teams but his Hall of Fame chances are not real good.
Robin Lopez (Knicks): 3yrs/$54m. He's tall, Knicks need tall guys, no brainer. NYK will be making it up as they go for the first coupla months but by the spring this might be a nice little squad. Good enough for 8th in the East? In the East? Yeah, sure.
Suns trade Marcus Morris, Granger, Bullock to Pistons for future draft considerations. They dared to split up the Morris twins...Morris will be nice role player for the Pistons. Granger gives some veteran gravitas (or gets waived in the next coupla days). Bullock is..I dunno, I've never seen Bullock be Bullock, hopefully he'll get a chance to play this year. The Suns are just dumping salary, presumably to make a run at Lamarcus Aldridge (though they probably would've been better off taking a run at Aminu). I think they should see if they can pry KJ McDaniels away from the Rockets or see if they can get in on Jamal Crawford.
(An older item but I had forgotten) Grizzlies picked up the team option of Jeff Green. Green's not a bad player but, man, he totally did not fit in with the Grizzlies last year. Surely he's trade bait, right?
(Also) Swear I thought I saw Mo Williams to the Grizzlies, but can't find it now. I guess that didn't happen...?
Jordan (Mavs): 4yrs/$80m, Matthews (Mavs): 4yrs/$64m. I'm kinda amazed the Clippers let Jordan get away, thought they would do whatever it took to keep him; they're gonna miss him, solid rocks down low are rare and they let him go. Matthews is an underappreciated scorer, a nice bookend for Parsons. The Mavs' summer is looking a lot better (and I guess the Monta sign-and-trade for Hibbert is off the table now but how about West?). They still need a table-setting PG. (Jameer Nelson? Looks like JJ Barea)
Brewer (Rockets): 3yrs/$23m; Beverley (Rockets): 4yrs/$23m. I thought Brewer had a good chance to get a really good deal somewhere else (same age as Afflalo who just got $8.5/per), guess he liked H-town living. Beverley too probably could've done better than $6m/per. They just made the conference finals (w/out Beverley, Motiejunas, Papanickolau, and Howard, Jones for stretches), guess they like their chances to get back. (The Texas teams are gonna kill each other this year)
Neal (Wizards): 1yr/$2.1m. Neal gettin' Steve Blake money to play 3rd string for the Wizards. I'm not a big Neal fan myself but he's a useful vet I guess.
Harris (Magic): 4 yrs/$64m. I like Harris, not sure he's worth Wesley Matthews money but the Magic gotta spend the money on the players they got. I think its a good signing and over time could be a great deal. Keep the youth movement rolling, let the players play and the Magic'll be fine for the next coupla years.
Derek Williams (Knicks): 2yrs/$10m. Like Thomas Robinson, a much maligned non-star player who has potential to be a fine role player. Not a game-changer but he can be a reliable rotation guy (especially for a crappy East team). NYK is doing a good job of nabbing the low risk/high reward players.
Belinelli (Kings): 3yrs/$19m. (Man, this is why the Kings suck) For the last ten years or so the Kings have done absolutely everything wrong (even drafting Cousins is of dubious value when managed this poorly), they just did a salary dump to get out from under the horrible decisions of the previous years, give away valuable draft options and their young cheap SG to sign...an old expensive SG. So you gave away Stauskus to make room for...Belinelli? What? Who does that? The Kings do that, that's why they're the Kings. (Belinelli just got Munson-ed) I like Belinelli, nice player, would be a better player on a good team but he'll shoot marginally better than Stauskus (and he'll stay way clear of the Cousins and the Karl), he's a pro, he'll suit up, take shots and collect checks like a reliable droog. For the Thunder or Pacers or Spurs, Belinelli could show up and make a difference; for the Kings he'll just look like a basketball player for the next three years. The rest of the new money is rumored to be going to Rondo, Josh Smith and Lou Williams...because the team wasn't combustible enough. Is that viable in the West? I doubt it but they'd be better than they've been in a while.
Rondo (Kings): 1yr/$9.5m. (What a weird looking contract) Rondo it is. (Josh Smith on the way?) Rondo could be just fine with Cousins, Rudy and the gang, but if it goes south, it'll go way way waaaaay south (and Rondo would be retiring this next summer). I'm optimistic, they'll catch people off guard, people will see what an unholy badass Demarcus is, might could sneak into the 8th spot (although Mavs cemented their spot in the top 8 today). Or it turns into a party at Polanski's house. Either way, probably a great year to be the Kings beat writer.
Dudley to Wizards; future 2nd rd pick to Bucks. I thought Dudley was actually a nice veteran off the bench for the Bucks, now he's doing it for the Wizards. The Bucks youth movement is already penciled into the playoffs, they're trying win now with the kids so I guess they think Vasquez is all the vet they need. Wizards'll play him, he'll get some of Pierce's minutes.
Robinson (Nets): 2 yrs (player option)/$2.2m; Larkin (Nets): 2yrs/$3m. Robinson's only problem in the NBA has been expectations. Kings, Rockets, Blazers, Nuggets, Sixers have all passed on this guy in the cheapest part of his career. When I watch him he looks just fine to me, definitely a quality 2nd stringer in this league, maybe a starter and clearly not too expensive. Why is he playing for the minimum on the most disappointing team in all of basketball? This guy couldn't get hired in Sacramento? Is he a total dick in real life or something. I dunno. I get that he's not an all-star talent but its too early to call him a bust; this guy might could last another 15 years in this league. He keeps getting chances because he's pretty good at basketball, I think he'll get paid (Danny Green style) one o' these day. Nets got themselves one of the best bargains of the summer. Larkin was disappointing for the Knicks last year but everything about the Knicks was disappointing last year, can't really evaluate him just yet. The Nets are getting a low risk/high reward 2nd string PG in Larkin.
Allen (Pacers): 3yrs/(undisclosed)$. I'm sure the price is right for the Pacers. Allen can play with Monta, Hill and George, continuity is good thing.
Baynes (Pistons)(couldn't find details). I remember Baynes from last summer's FIBA World Cup than from any of his time with the Spurs. He's got good hands, decent footwork, better offensive player than defensive player. Here he's meant to be a low cost replacement for Monroe. I guess he could work.
Wade (Heat): 1yr/$20m. Next year when the salary cap goes up, they'll be able to comfortably overpay Wade for a coupla more years of wearing a suit on the bench at Heat games. This is the bridge to the next bridge.
Kenyon Martin announces retirement. Every once in a while some old movie or TV star dies and you go, Oh really? I thought that dude died like ten years ago...yeah, this is one of those. Martin had some good years for some good teams but his Hall of Fame chances are not real good.
Robin Lopez (Knicks): 3yrs/$54m. He's tall, Knicks need tall guys, no brainer. NYK will be making it up as they go for the first coupla months but by the spring this might be a nice little squad. Good enough for 8th in the East? In the East? Yeah, sure.
Suns trade Marcus Morris, Granger, Bullock to Pistons for future draft considerations. They dared to split up the Morris twins...Morris will be nice role player for the Pistons. Granger gives some veteran gravitas (or gets waived in the next coupla days). Bullock is..I dunno, I've never seen Bullock be Bullock, hopefully he'll get a chance to play this year. The Suns are just dumping salary, presumably to make a run at Lamarcus Aldridge (though they probably would've been better off taking a run at Aminu). I think they should see if they can pry KJ McDaniels away from the Rockets or see if they can get in on Jamal Crawford.
(An older item but I had forgotten) Grizzlies picked up the team option of Jeff Green. Green's not a bad player but, man, he totally did not fit in with the Grizzlies last year. Surely he's trade bait, right?
(Also) Swear I thought I saw Mo Williams to the Grizzlies, but can't find it now. I guess that didn't happen...?
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Signings and Such (Day 2)
Davis (Blazers): 3yrs/$20m. Nice raise for Davis, a nice player. On a good team like the Blazers, he'll get regular bench minutes, won't get asked to do too much, if he stays on his game, Davis will help out and be a productive player. The Blazers have taken on Davis, Aminu, Mason Plumlee at very affordable prices, locked up Lillard for the long term, and I still think they end up keeping Aldridge. If so, they have legitimately upgraded without breaking the bank. I think the Blazers are quietly off to a great start in the free agency period.
Ellis (Pacers): 4yrs/$44m. Not sure Monta is the perfect fit for the Pacers, but they need playmskers on offense and he needs a PG and a strong D behind him, maybe it is a perfect fit. Now do the Pacers flip Hibbert?
Monroe (Bucks): 3yrs/$50m/player option year 3. Great deal for the Bucks! I thought Deandre Jordan was the ideal fit for the Bucks (but not the other way around, an unfortunate occurrence). But making a real run at Jordan, the flirtation with Chandler, those things add gravitas and now the Bucks steal the guy everyone thought was going to NYK. So far its been an aces off-season for the Bucks: re-signed Middleton, brought in Monroe and Vasquez, reatained Dudley, drafted Vaughn, all positive steps and they've still got room to make some moves. Bucks starting five next year: MCW, Middleton, Antetokounpo, Jabari, Monroe. This team was nowhere not long ago and now they look like they're in the mix for home court in the playoffs.
Afflalo (Knicks): 2yrs/$16m. Did Afflalo just opt out of an $8.5m deal to sign an $8m deal with a crappier team? Hmmm, think he needs a new agent. Knicks need anything and everything so this is a good deal for them but what does this do for Afflalo? Seems like he could've gone for either more money and/or a better situation. (Afflalo is now the answer to cool trivia question: Who was Phil Jackson's first free agent signing as a GM?)
Crowder (Celtics): 5yrs/$35m. The Celtics lock up another fine role player on a reasonable deal. The Celtics have the most reasonable roster in the league right now, its a good thing that they've got the best coach to maximize them. The Celtics are in the packaging business now, gotta turn all these nice pieces into a star. There are still big trades waiting out there, the Celtics need to get on the end of one of those.
Asik (Pelicans): 5yrs/$44m (incentive-laden deal, call it $44-ish). I like Asik but I didn't think he was the ideal fit last year, a little surprised they brought him back but apparently new coach Alvin Gentry wanted the whole team back. The Pelicans without any changes at all should still be at least a little better than their 8th spot last year. But the Thunder will be back next year, Suns could be better, the Pelicans best bet is that the Blazers and Mavs can't get it together by the end of the summer.
Kings trade Stauskus, Thompson, Landry, at least one 1st round pick (and maybe some pick-swapping rights?) to Sixers for rights to Gudaitais (#47 pick in the draft) and Mitrovic (#60). Told ya those Sixer 2nd round picks would be on the move in a salary dump capacity (people act like those things aren't valuable but they can be very effective in a salary cap league). I assume the Sixers will waive Thompson and Landry, while Stauskus gets a second chance. Sixers need scoring (and rookie contracts), so Stauskus should get plenty of playing time. As for the Kings, they can ill-afford a salary dump when they're already the horriblest team in the league, giving away 1st rounders is not a good move for them and pick swapping?!? All the Kings have for the next three years is Demarcus Cousins and three 1st round pick, they cannot be giving those picks away (though if you're gonna swap with anyone, the Sixers are a pretty safe bet). The Kings are horrible and everything they do is horrible...you think Calipari wants this job? You crazy. And this is all to create space so they can chase after Rondo and Ellis...who hated each other in Dallas but they're gonna love each other in Sacramento? Crazy. Every move is a step back for this franchise.
Ellis (Pacers): 4yrs/$44m. Not sure Monta is the perfect fit for the Pacers, but they need playmskers on offense and he needs a PG and a strong D behind him, maybe it is a perfect fit. Now do the Pacers flip Hibbert?
Monroe (Bucks): 3yrs/$50m/player option year 3. Great deal for the Bucks! I thought Deandre Jordan was the ideal fit for the Bucks (but not the other way around, an unfortunate occurrence). But making a real run at Jordan, the flirtation with Chandler, those things add gravitas and now the Bucks steal the guy everyone thought was going to NYK. So far its been an aces off-season for the Bucks: re-signed Middleton, brought in Monroe and Vasquez, reatained Dudley, drafted Vaughn, all positive steps and they've still got room to make some moves. Bucks starting five next year: MCW, Middleton, Antetokounpo, Jabari, Monroe. This team was nowhere not long ago and now they look like they're in the mix for home court in the playoffs.
Afflalo (Knicks): 2yrs/$16m. Did Afflalo just opt out of an $8.5m deal to sign an $8m deal with a crappier team? Hmmm, think he needs a new agent. Knicks need anything and everything so this is a good deal for them but what does this do for Afflalo? Seems like he could've gone for either more money and/or a better situation. (Afflalo is now the answer to cool trivia question: Who was Phil Jackson's first free agent signing as a GM?)
Crowder (Celtics): 5yrs/$35m. The Celtics lock up another fine role player on a reasonable deal. The Celtics have the most reasonable roster in the league right now, its a good thing that they've got the best coach to maximize them. The Celtics are in the packaging business now, gotta turn all these nice pieces into a star. There are still big trades waiting out there, the Celtics need to get on the end of one of those.
Asik (Pelicans): 5yrs/$44m (incentive-laden deal, call it $44-ish). I like Asik but I didn't think he was the ideal fit last year, a little surprised they brought him back but apparently new coach Alvin Gentry wanted the whole team back. The Pelicans without any changes at all should still be at least a little better than their 8th spot last year. But the Thunder will be back next year, Suns could be better, the Pelicans best bet is that the Blazers and Mavs can't get it together by the end of the summer.
Kings trade Stauskus, Thompson, Landry, at least one 1st round pick (and maybe some pick-swapping rights?) to Sixers for rights to Gudaitais (#47 pick in the draft) and Mitrovic (#60). Told ya those Sixer 2nd round picks would be on the move in a salary dump capacity (people act like those things aren't valuable but they can be very effective in a salary cap league). I assume the Sixers will waive Thompson and Landry, while Stauskus gets a second chance. Sixers need scoring (and rookie contracts), so Stauskus should get plenty of playing time. As for the Kings, they can ill-afford a salary dump when they're already the horriblest team in the league, giving away 1st rounders is not a good move for them and pick swapping?!? All the Kings have for the next three years is Demarcus Cousins and three 1st round pick, they cannot be giving those picks away (though if you're gonna swap with anyone, the Sixers are a pretty safe bet). The Kings are horrible and everything they do is horrible...you think Calipari wants this job? You crazy. And this is all to create space so they can chase after Rondo and Ellis...who hated each other in Dallas but they're gonna love each other in Sacramento? Crazy. Every move is a step back for this franchise.
Rumor?
John Kerry and Iranian diplomats spotted having dinner with Chandler Parsons. Nuclear deal expected any day now.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Signings and Such (Day 1)
Well, that didn't take long. Already plenty of headlines on day 1.
Davis (Pelicans): 5yrs/$140m extension; Ajinca (Pelicans): 4yrs/$20.2m. There's no reason for Davis to wait, this is the deal, just sign it and start check collecting. I believe there's an out after year 4, but god, they'll figure out how to fill out the roster around in the next four years, won't they? Hope so for their sake. I like Ajinca, not dissimilar in style and build, a decent stunt double for AD going forward. I thought the Pelicans would let Asik move on and fill the space in some other way but the rumblings are that he'll be back too. We'll see.
Chandler (Suns): 4yrs/$52m; Knight (Suns): 5yrs/$70m. Did not see Phoenix as a landing spot for Chandler. (Since they just grabbed Jon Leuer too does this mean Alex Len is on the move?) He definitely gives them a defensive presence in the middle that they haven't had in decades and he can score around the basket, if he's opportunistic he'll have plenty of scoring options with Bledsoe and Knight combo-in' all over the place. And I like the Knight signing, gives Bledsoe a formidable comrade, they'll be fun and Tyson gives them some credibility. They might be sniffing around #8 again.
Butler (Bulls): 5yrs/$90m; Dunleavy (Bulls): 3yrs/$15m. The word was that Butler was wanting a shorter deal to get out of Chicago as soon as possible. But if he stays good, his contract will be easily moved (I can totally see him in the post-Kobe LA), I'd say the kid did the right thing: take the full dollars, everything else can be worked out later. I thought they'd let Dunleavy walk but as soon as Lebron expressed some interest in him, Bulls right quick locked him up. They don't have any flexibility any more (looks like they're already way over the cap, how do these deals metabolize?).
Love (Cavs): 5yrs/$110m; Thompson (Cavs): 5yrs/$80m; Shumpert (Cavs): 4yrs/$40m. They're rolling with last year's squad again. Probably not a bad idea. That squad should probably comfortably rule the east for the foreseeable future. Room left for Smith?
Leonard (Spurs): 5yrs/$90m extension; Green (Spurs): 4yrs/$45m; traded Splitter to the Hawks (terms still being worked out). Signing Kawhi is a sigh of relief (you can't exhale until the ink is dry) but signing Green is a pleasant surprise. In order to make room for Aldridge (or whoever they end up wooing) I thought Green would get jettisoned and I suppose he could still be traded but this move seems like their shoring up the lineup for next year. Moving Splitter would be bring to in someone new but it looks like they gave a good chunk of that to Green. Green's a good fit, perhaps a better fit than Aldridge, and perhaps they chose to stay in-house (and a run at Lopez maybe?) instead of re-shaping everything for the bigger star. We'll see.
Singler (Thunder): 5yrs/$25m. This one surprised me too: all indications are that the Thunder want to re-sign Kanter, would've though that made Singler a cap casaulty. Guess not. (Also, I thought Singler was a perfect fit for the Cavs but this is more than the Cavs would've wanted to give him I reckon)
Dragic (Heat): 5yrs/$90m. I love Dragic, think he's gonna be money with Bosh, Wade, Winslow, Deng, McRoberts, Whitside. Just one year in Lebron's wake and already they seem the most likely to challenge the Cavs (for the next year anyway) in the East. (Or this could be a painful disaster where none of the pieces fit the way they're supposed to...though that might be fun too)
Middleton (Bucks): 5yrs/$70m. Good move, Middleton was one of the most underappreciated players in the whole league last year, it was his maturation that held the Bucks in playoff mode even after Jabari got hurt and Sanders bailed. He had a really good year and its good to see him get rewarded.
Johnson (Celtics): 2yrs/$24m, Jerebko (Celtics): 2yrs/$10m. A coupla short-term role deals, hardly the big splash the Celtics were hoping to make on day one. I don't dislike the players or the contracts (both very reasonable) but the Vegas odds didn't get any better for the Celtics today. Maybe tomorrow, still a lot of summer left to pull off the right deal.
Carroll (Raptors): 4yrs/$60m. One of those moves where the team overpays a nice player who's not the right player, team swallows up the player, who's never heard from again. Carroll is a a good contributor for a good team but a mediocre team going in the wrong direction, he's just absorbing too much salary. Raptors have too many players to trade away to have any idea where this team will be in October but I still don't see how Carroll fits.
Lillard (Blazers): 5yrs/$110m extension, Aminu (Blazers): 4yrs/$30m; I knew Aminu would get paid, D'd up James Harden as well as anyone all year, that's a valuable thing in the West. Personally I've thought the whole time that Aldridge goes back to Portland, I think all this talk is just him getting some league love (he deserves it) and then heading on back home. Kinda looks like Plumlee to replace Lopez, Aminu in place of Batum, (now to replace Matthews), and Lillard getting big money doesn't keep Aldridge away. I think they're feathering the nest while he hangs with Kobe and Pop (and, of course, anyone who's anyone is having dinner with Chandler Parsons these days). I think the Blazer re-build is closer to complete than we realize.
Pierce (Clippers): 3yrs/$10m. I dunno...I don't get this move, its not obvious to me why he wants to be in LA. Sure, playing with Chris Paul will be great but I feel like Pierce interrupts the Clipper flow more than adding to it. I'm not feeling Lance and Pierce as big upgrades over Barnes and Hawes, we'll see who they can get for Crawford but if they lose Deandre, all these moves are moot. The Clippers are really on the edge right now.
Lopez (Nets): 3yrs/$60m, Young (Nets): 4yrs/$50m. I would've thought the Nets would've been happy to get any new blood but I guess they're going for continuity. $20m/per for Lopez, are we sure he's that good? I like Lopez as much as the next guy but I feel like there's more versatility out there. Young, too, is a nice player but $12m/per feels like more than anyone else would've paid. I dunno, these aren't horrible signings but they certainly aren't any kind of leap forward either.
Wright (Grizzlies): 3yrs/$18m. The Grizzlies could use more perimeter players (JR Smith, anyone?), but they have let go of Koufos and Leuer already, Wright is good for depth and he's a pretty good scorer. Wright was one the one unsung victims of last season: he was having a great season with the Mavs but got tossed aside for Rondo (bad play), then dumped again by the Celtics and again by the Suns. The Grizzlies got a pretty good player at a reasonable price.
Millsap (Hawks): 3yrs/$59m. I felt like Millsap would be one of the coveted free agents of the summer instead he gets less than Brook Lopez to stay with the team he helped build. (I thought the Jazz would make the down-on-one-knee kinda plea to Millsap to return to the SLC but I guess that was never gonna happen) One rumor is this is part of a sign-and-trade for Tobias Harris; could be an interesting move for both teams. They did acquire Splitter (for a player to be named later) so perhaps this signing is the first step in a longer process.
Green (Warriors): 5yrs/$85m. Wow, that seems a little high but this is the right move. Green is a badass, knows exactly who he is and he fits on this team and they've already won a championship, go ahead and pay the man.
Davis (Pelicans): 5yrs/$140m extension; Ajinca (Pelicans): 4yrs/$20.2m. There's no reason for Davis to wait, this is the deal, just sign it and start check collecting. I believe there's an out after year 4, but god, they'll figure out how to fill out the roster around in the next four years, won't they? Hope so for their sake. I like Ajinca, not dissimilar in style and build, a decent stunt double for AD going forward. I thought the Pelicans would let Asik move on and fill the space in some other way but the rumblings are that he'll be back too. We'll see.
Chandler (Suns): 4yrs/$52m; Knight (Suns): 5yrs/$70m. Did not see Phoenix as a landing spot for Chandler. (Since they just grabbed Jon Leuer too does this mean Alex Len is on the move?) He definitely gives them a defensive presence in the middle that they haven't had in decades and he can score around the basket, if he's opportunistic he'll have plenty of scoring options with Bledsoe and Knight combo-in' all over the place. And I like the Knight signing, gives Bledsoe a formidable comrade, they'll be fun and Tyson gives them some credibility. They might be sniffing around #8 again.
Butler (Bulls): 5yrs/$90m; Dunleavy (Bulls): 3yrs/$15m. The word was that Butler was wanting a shorter deal to get out of Chicago as soon as possible. But if he stays good, his contract will be easily moved (I can totally see him in the post-Kobe LA), I'd say the kid did the right thing: take the full dollars, everything else can be worked out later. I thought they'd let Dunleavy walk but as soon as Lebron expressed some interest in him, Bulls right quick locked him up. They don't have any flexibility any more (looks like they're already way over the cap, how do these deals metabolize?).
Love (Cavs): 5yrs/$110m; Thompson (Cavs): 5yrs/$80m; Shumpert (Cavs): 4yrs/$40m. They're rolling with last year's squad again. Probably not a bad idea. That squad should probably comfortably rule the east for the foreseeable future. Room left for Smith?
Leonard (Spurs): 5yrs/$90m extension; Green (Spurs): 4yrs/$45m; traded Splitter to the Hawks (terms still being worked out). Signing Kawhi is a sigh of relief (you can't exhale until the ink is dry) but signing Green is a pleasant surprise. In order to make room for Aldridge (or whoever they end up wooing) I thought Green would get jettisoned and I suppose he could still be traded but this move seems like their shoring up the lineup for next year. Moving Splitter would be bring to in someone new but it looks like they gave a good chunk of that to Green. Green's a good fit, perhaps a better fit than Aldridge, and perhaps they chose to stay in-house (and a run at Lopez maybe?) instead of re-shaping everything for the bigger star. We'll see.
Singler (Thunder): 5yrs/$25m. This one surprised me too: all indications are that the Thunder want to re-sign Kanter, would've though that made Singler a cap casaulty. Guess not. (Also, I thought Singler was a perfect fit for the Cavs but this is more than the Cavs would've wanted to give him I reckon)
Dragic (Heat): 5yrs/$90m. I love Dragic, think he's gonna be money with Bosh, Wade, Winslow, Deng, McRoberts, Whitside. Just one year in Lebron's wake and already they seem the most likely to challenge the Cavs (for the next year anyway) in the East. (Or this could be a painful disaster where none of the pieces fit the way they're supposed to...though that might be fun too)
Middleton (Bucks): 5yrs/$70m. Good move, Middleton was one of the most underappreciated players in the whole league last year, it was his maturation that held the Bucks in playoff mode even after Jabari got hurt and Sanders bailed. He had a really good year and its good to see him get rewarded.
Johnson (Celtics): 2yrs/$24m, Jerebko (Celtics): 2yrs/$10m. A coupla short-term role deals, hardly the big splash the Celtics were hoping to make on day one. I don't dislike the players or the contracts (both very reasonable) but the Vegas odds didn't get any better for the Celtics today. Maybe tomorrow, still a lot of summer left to pull off the right deal.
Carroll (Raptors): 4yrs/$60m. One of those moves where the team overpays a nice player who's not the right player, team swallows up the player, who's never heard from again. Carroll is a a good contributor for a good team but a mediocre team going in the wrong direction, he's just absorbing too much salary. Raptors have too many players to trade away to have any idea where this team will be in October but I still don't see how Carroll fits.
Lillard (Blazers): 5yrs/$110m extension, Aminu (Blazers): 4yrs/$30m; I knew Aminu would get paid, D'd up James Harden as well as anyone all year, that's a valuable thing in the West. Personally I've thought the whole time that Aldridge goes back to Portland, I think all this talk is just him getting some league love (he deserves it) and then heading on back home. Kinda looks like Plumlee to replace Lopez, Aminu in place of Batum, (now to replace Matthews), and Lillard getting big money doesn't keep Aldridge away. I think they're feathering the nest while he hangs with Kobe and Pop (and, of course, anyone who's anyone is having dinner with Chandler Parsons these days). I think the Blazer re-build is closer to complete than we realize.
Pierce (Clippers): 3yrs/$10m. I dunno...I don't get this move, its not obvious to me why he wants to be in LA. Sure, playing with Chris Paul will be great but I feel like Pierce interrupts the Clipper flow more than adding to it. I'm not feeling Lance and Pierce as big upgrades over Barnes and Hawes, we'll see who they can get for Crawford but if they lose Deandre, all these moves are moot. The Clippers are really on the edge right now.
Lopez (Nets): 3yrs/$60m, Young (Nets): 4yrs/$50m. I would've thought the Nets would've been happy to get any new blood but I guess they're going for continuity. $20m/per for Lopez, are we sure he's that good? I like Lopez as much as the next guy but I feel like there's more versatility out there. Young, too, is a nice player but $12m/per feels like more than anyone else would've paid. I dunno, these aren't horrible signings but they certainly aren't any kind of leap forward either.
Wright (Grizzlies): 3yrs/$18m. The Grizzlies could use more perimeter players (JR Smith, anyone?), but they have let go of Koufos and Leuer already, Wright is good for depth and he's a pretty good scorer. Wright was one the one unsung victims of last season: he was having a great season with the Mavs but got tossed aside for Rondo (bad play), then dumped again by the Celtics and again by the Suns. The Grizzlies got a pretty good player at a reasonable price.
Millsap (Hawks): 3yrs/$59m. I felt like Millsap would be one of the coveted free agents of the summer instead he gets less than Brook Lopez to stay with the team he helped build. (I thought the Jazz would make the down-on-one-knee kinda plea to Millsap to return to the SLC but I guess that was never gonna happen) One rumor is this is part of a sign-and-trade for Tobias Harris; could be an interesting move for both teams. They did acquire Splitter (for a player to be named later) so perhaps this signing is the first step in a longer process.
Green (Warriors): 5yrs/$85m. Wow, that seems a little high but this is the right move. Green is a badass, knows exactly who he is and he fits on this team and they've already won a championship, go ahead and pay the man.
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