The Sportsletter - Free Agency Fireworks 💥

BY JEFF YODER & MARISSA KASCH

JULY 2, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Independence Week 🙌

We’re back for an abbreviated edition. The Sportsletter team is taking the week off, but we couldn’t leave without a quick update. Some major free agency fireworks lit up the weekend. We’ll have Wimbledon and Tour de France coverage when we return next week. For now, here’s a short vacation-style update (written poolside 😎).

🗓️ Holiday Schedule: The Sportsletter Team is taking a break this week (July 1-5) with the exception of today's brief update. We'll return in full on Monday, July 8. Enjoy.

Letter Rip!

  NBA / NHL  

Free Agency Fireworks 💥

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

The Biggest Moves From Opening Weekend of NBA & NHL Free Agency

The NBA and NHL free agency periods opened this weekend with some fireworks that changed the outlook of each league. Paul George is a 76er. Klay Thompson is a Maverick. Jayson Tatum got the biggest bag in NBA history. And that's just the NBA. We can’t unpack each mega-deal in full, but here’s a rundown of the biggest moves from the last three days in both sports.

🏀 NBA Free Agency

76ers Sign Paul George

Contract: 4 Years, $212 Million

Mavericks Sign Klay Thompson

Contract: 3 Years, $50 Million

Spurs Sign Chris Paul

Contract: 1 Year, $11 Million

Pistons Sign Tobias Harris

Contract: 2 Years, $52 Million

Thunder Sign Isaiah Hartenstein

Contract: 3 Years, $87 Million

Wizards Sign Jonas Valanciunas

Contract: 3 Years, $30 Million

Celtics Re-Sign Jayson Tatum

Contract: 5 Years, $315 Million

Celtics Re-Sign Derrick White

Contract: 4 Years, $126 Million

76ers Re-Sign Tyrese Maxey

Contract: 5 Years, $204 Million

Clippers Re-Sign James Harden

Contract: 2 Years, $70 Million

Read More

B/R: LeBron James Open to Pay Cut for Bulls FA DeMar DeRozan

The Ringer: Paul George’s Arrival Changes Everything for 76ers

Yahoo! Sports: Chris Paul Joins Wemby’s Spurs After Release From Warriors

🏒 NHL Free Agency

Bruins Sign Elias Lindholm

Contract: 7 Years, $54 Million

Kraken Sign Brandon Montour

Contract: 7 Years, $50 Million

Canucks Sign Jake DeBrusk

Contract: 7 Years, $38.5 Million

Predators Sign Steven Stamkos

Contract: 4 Years, $32 Million

Capitals Sign Matt Roy

Contract: 6 Years, $34.5 Million

Islanders Sign Anthony Duclair

Contract: 4 Years, TBD

Red Wings Re-Sign Patrick Kane

Contract: 1 Year, TBD

Panthers Re-Sign Sam Reinhart

Contract: 8 Years, TBD

Read More

ESPN: Sharks Take Macklin Celebrini No. 1 in NHL Draft

CBS Sports: NHL Free Agency Tracker: Stamkos, Duclair & More

  SPORTSLETTER SERIES  

Part II: The Impact of Team Relocations

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

How Team Relocations Have Impacted Leagues, Cities & Heartbroken Fans (By Marissa Kasch)

In our last edition, we discussed the history of team relocation across professional sports and how the phenomenon has left countless fans heartbroken. The heartbreak, riots, protests, and committees were just a few minor results of teams playing musical chairs. In some cases, it was justified, like when a team leaves in the middle of the night and a whole city wakes up wondering what happened. But team relocation isn’t all doom and gloom. In fact, most teams move to greener pastures because their home just isn’t working out anymore. Sure, they had a good run and it’s sad to leave the die-hard fans. But if they couldn’t stay afloat financially, there wouldn’t even be a franchise to speak of.

Read the Full Article (TheSportsletter.com)

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

Extended Highlight Reel

Photo: John Dorton / ISI Photos / Getty Images

⚽️ Copa America

🇻🇪 Venezuela def. 🇯🇲 Jamaica (3-0)

🇲🇽 Mexico draw 🇪🇨 Ecuador (0-0)

🇵🇦 Panama def. 🇧🇴 Bolivia (3-1)

🇺🇾 Uruguay def. 🇺🇸 United States (1-0)

USMNT Knocked Out of Copa America

⚽️ UEFA Euros

🇨🇭 Switzerland def. 🇮🇹 Italy (2-0)

🇩🇪 Germany def. 🇩🇰 Denmark (2-0)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England def. 🇸🇰 Slovakia (2-1)

🇪🇸 Spain def. 🇬🇪 Georgia (4-1)

🇫🇷 France def. 🇧🇪 Belgium (1-0)

🇵🇹 Portugal def. 🇸🇮 Slovenia (0-0, 3-0 PKs)

⚾️ MLB

Mets def. Nationals (9-7, 10 Innings)

6-Run 10th Inning Comeback

Astros def. Blue Jays (3-1)

Houston on League-Best 3-Game Win Streak

🏀 WNBA

Storm Slice Wings (97-76)

Jewell Loyd (30 pts) 2nd Straight 30-pt Game

Fever Rally Past Mercury (88-82)

Caitlin Clark (15-9-12), IND Come Back from 15 Down

🏅 Olympic Trials

Simone Biles Catches Crazy Air in Floor Routine

Sydney McLaughlin Breaks 400M Hurdles World Record

Due to time zones and scheduling challenges, we'll have Wimbledon and Tour de France coverage beginning next Monday.

  NEWS   📰 

⚽️ Lionel Messi Headlines MLS All-Star Roster for First Time (ESPN)

🏅 16-Year-Old Quincy Wilson Becomes Youngest U.S. Male Track Olympian (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 Wyc Grousbeck to Sell His Majority Stake in Boston Celtics After 2024 Title (B/R)

🎾 World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka Withdraws From Wimbledon (SI)

⚽️ USMNT Manager Gregg Berhalter Back on Hot Seat After Copa America Knockout (FOX Sports)

🏈 Jon Gruden Loses Bid for Reconsideration in NFL Lawsuit (ESPN)

⚾️ Mets OF Brandon Nimmo Hospitalized After Fall in Hotel Bathroom (Yahoo! Sports)

🏈 Utah Football Names Morgan Scalley as Next Successor to Kyle Whittingham (CBS Sports)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Must-Watch List (Next 3 Days)

🎾 Wimbledon

Rounds 2-3 (All Week)

⚽️ UEFA Euros (Round of 16)

🇷🇴 Romania vs. 🇳🇱 Netherlands (Tues. Noon, FS1)

🇦🇹 Austria vs. 🇹🇷 Turkey (Tues. 3:00 pm, FOX)

⚽️ Copa America

🇧🇷 Brazil vs. 🇨🇴 Colombia (Tues. 9:00 pm, FS1)

🇦🇷 Argentina vs. 🇪🇨 Ecuador (Thurs. 9:00 pm, FOX)

⚾️ MLB

Phillies-Cubs Series

Diamondbacks-Dodgers Series

Reds-Yankees Series

Padres-Rangers Series

Orioles-Mariners Series

Full MLB Schedule

🏀 WNBA

Fever at Aces (Tues. 9:30 pm, ESPN)

Sun at Lynx (Thurs. 8:00 pm, PRIME)

Full WNBA Schedule

*All Times ET

  PROGRAMMING  

🗓️ Holiday Schedule: The Sportsletter Team is taking a break this week (July 1-5) with the exception of today's brief update. We'll return in full on Monday, July 8. Enjoy.

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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