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With the NBA Free Agency period beginning midnight on July 1st, many teams were out pitching their benefits to potential players. Sean Francois, (@seanfrancois) Halifax-based writer and co-founder of basketball blog HoopHeadsNorth.com, signs up for the Three-Man Weave this week with Duane Watson and Will Strickland from TSN 1050s "1 On 1 With Will & Duane", as we look at where some of the stars may land and asses the early activity. How important was the Kyle Lowry signing for Toronto? Strickland: Rhetorical. It would have been a nuclear winter in the T-Dot had Raptors President and GM Masai Ujiri not re-signed Lowry. DeMar DeRozan is the the best player on the team and an All-Star; Kyle Lowry is the MVP of the Raps. This is not necessarily up for debate.Francois: I believe that Kyle Lowrys signing is a BIG deal. The fact of the matter is that he re-signed with a Toronto team that had success this past season and has a bright future with a young core, so hes envisioning what he can do to help take the Raptors to the next level as a leader and key contributor. The Raptors franchise as a whole (players and management) cannot afford to rest on their laurels though. They must continue to improve individually as players, and management and coaches need to continually look for ways to improve the team in order to maintain and exceed this new found level of success on the court. To me, Lowrys re-signing helps quell the notion/misconception that players dont want to play in Toronto. Like in the heyday of the Vince Carter-era, if the team is winning, players will want to stay. Watson: After drafting and developing the likes of Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Chris Bosh, only to head south of the border once their game blossomed, it was important for the franchise to keep their own talent. Definitely a statement that Toronto is a destination for free agents, as Lowry drew interest from Miami, Houston and the Lakers. It was the right deal and he is the leader of the ball club and Masai Ujiri didnt have to overpay to keep him here.Will the Heat be able to retain their Big Three and improve their roster? Strickland: Tough to say at this point. LeBron James has been flying solo on this mission, rightfully demanding max money as for the first 11 years of his career, never has he been the highest paid player in the NBA or on his own team. Bosh opted out, then asked for a five-year, $90 million deal, which definitely wont happen in Miami. Dwyane Wade opted out and seems to be willing to do whats necessary to retire on South Beach. All that said, Pat Riley needs to bring in a Pau Gasol-type big, a solid PG and a competent bench with a mixture of youth and experience or we may have seen the last of the Heatles.Francois: I believe that the Miami Heat will be able to retain their Big Three, but only for another one or two seasons. With the reported contract demands/expectations from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, I do not anticipate there being enough money available (under the salary cap) for Pat Riley to bring in significant pieces to placate James for the long haul. Therefore, I suspect LeBron will stay in Miami, but on a short term deal so that he has flexibility to go elsewhere in short order if he sees fit to do so. Watson: The numbers dont add up, LeBron James maintains he wants a max contract, deservedly so, but expects Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to take less than their value AND are expected to find key players to add to the roster? Its not going to happen and I dont see James staying to play with the same team again, even with a max deal.Where will LeBron James end up? Strickland: The initial feeling is that if Riley cant work magic with record cap space available, The King signs a one-year tender and starts the process again next July. Other options include Cleveland and Houston having the inside track to sign LeBron. There are long shots like Chicago and Dallas, an intriguing scenario in the Valley of the Sun that involves James and Carmelo Anthony in Phoenix and the most explosive of all - Miami and the Clippers do a straight sign-and-trade with LeBron for Blake Griffin. Francois:I believe LeBron James will ultimately stay in Miami, but on a short-term deal so that he has the flexibility to go elsewhere in short order if he doesnt believe the Miami Heat can continue to build and maintain a competitive roster. Pat Riley will need to work some magic to be able to attain players that can truly keep the Heat competitive and at a Championship-calibre level, considering the high percentage of cap space that the Big Three will command - even if it is at a "reduced" rate. Watson: LeBron leaves Miami unless he takes a short-term contract to stay, say, one or two years. When he does, it only makes sense that he returns to Cleveland. If hes going to leave the comfort and stability of the Heat, it would only make sense to do so if he returned home. They have young and dynamic pieces in Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Tristan Thompson, etc, which is already a better Cavaliers team that he took to the NBA Finals in 2007.Where will Carmelo Anthony end up? Strickland: History speaks to Melo being about his money and max dollars exist by staying in Metropolis, learning the Triangle with ghost coach Phil Jackson (Sorry, Derek Fisher...we know what this is!), then waiting on Kevin Love and/or LeBron to show up in Gotham for the 2015-2016 season. Chicago seems like a fit for a better opportunity to win now, even with the unknown of Derrick Rose and his health. Houston and Dallas feel like gratuity stops on Melos Wine & Dine Tour 2014. And the writing was on the wall when Kobe couldnt make it back from his annual blood spinn... ahem, pardon me, "vacation in Europe" to meet with Anthony. Francois: I would enjoy seeing Carmelo Anthony in a Chicago Bulls uniform, but I do expect now that hes finished speaking with the Bulls, Mavericks, Rockets, Lakers and the Knicks that he will ultimately stay where hes been for the past three-and-a-half seasons. I feel that the maximum money that the Knicks can offer, which no other team can (and the fifth-year on a contract), plus his wife and family being settled in New York City and enjoying everything the city has to offer, will ultimately keep him in the Big Apple. Watson: The best scenario is for him to wind up in is Chicago, with a defensive-minded coach and a complement of stars in Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose and defensive pieces like Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, however it will likely be the most complicated. Melo can get max money in New York if he stays, but he wants to win. Can he attract a marquee free agent to come play with him there, knowing he wont pass the ball? I think he will opt for the long money (five-year max deal) and stay in New York.Which free agency move thus far, quietly makes their team better? Strickland: Toronto. Ujiris continues to be solid and respectful of the cap dynamic, fan dynamic and team growth dynamic by re-upping Kyle Lowry to a very reasonable deal for a player of his calibre. With a 2017 lockout looming and, as usual, Washington D.C. affecting the current economy by grossly overpaying Wizards centre Marcin "The Polish Hammer" Gortat, the Raptors are building in a fiscally responsible fashion that should engender confidence for Ujiris next moves. Francois: With a lot of free agents still unsigned or undecided on their team for the upcoming 2014-15 season, the answer to the most underrated free agent signing is probably still to come. That said, to answer the specific question of what free agent signing has quietly made their team better, I believe the Spurs re-signing of Patty Mills is very key. Unfortunately, he now has to recover from rotator cuff surgery, but a lot of teams certainly had him on their radar for his shooting prowess and point guard abilities. This helps keep the San Antonio Spurs core and group of impactful role players intact, while giving the Spurs a fantastic opportunity to keep the Larry OBrien Trophy in their possession. Watson: While none of the big names has signed yet, Lowry is the biggest name to lock up, but that has already been addressed. Danny Ferrys Atlanta Hawks traded Lou Williams and Lucas Nogueira to the Raptors for John Salmons, who they will likely waive for $1 million providing cap space. They also acquired Thabo Sefolosha for three years and $12 million, who provides solid perimeter defence to platoon with Kyle Korver, the leagues best three-point shooter. The cap space may also pave way for Luol Deng to sign with the Hawks, as well. NFL Jerseys Supply .com) - The Miami Heat stopped a four-game losing streak last time out and thats the same length slide their opponents Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets, will try to halt when the two teams meet at the Pepsi Center. China NFL Jerseys . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Or just about anything that has happened on the court in the first-round playoff series. Instead, Rivers and his players spent Saturday talking about how they would respond to an audio recording of a man identified as Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games. http://www.wholesalenfljerseyssupplycheap.com/ . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012. Cheap NFL Jerseys Paypal . In a matter of days, he went from unwanted to wanted, from fired to hired, from discarded by the Philadelphia Eagles with reputation tarnished to rock star treatment and a new fat contract from the Washington Redskins. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. PRETORIA, South Africa -- Oscar Pistorius had a heightened concern for his personal safety and was making plans to take girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on international trips shortly before he fatally shot her, his agent testified at the double-amputee runners murder trial Tuesday. The defence called Peet van Zyl to the stand in an attempt to bolster Pistorius account that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, providing testimony about a loving relationship and a fear of crime that may have pushed the Paralympian to fire through a closed toilet door. Van Zyl faced tough questioning from the chief prosecutor, however, about Pistorius alleged egotism and tantrums, high-speed driving and love of guns. The prosecution maintains that he intentionally killed Steenkamp in his home after an argument in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013. Pistorius, who is free on bail, faces 25 years to life in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder, but he could also be sentenced to significant time behind bars if convicted of murder without premeditation or negligent killing. He also faces gun-related charges. The agent, who helped guide Pistorius to success as a globally renowned athlete with lucrative sponsorship deals that have since been stripped away, testified that his client had a "heightened sense of awareness" and appeared preoccupied with security at times. On one occasion, he recalled, Pistorius drove with him at high speed to the airport and, when told there was no rush, recalled a traumatic episode in which Van Zyl was accosted at gunpoint while in his car in 2007. "He wantted to ensure that we are safe and not being followed," Van Zyl said.dddddddddddd He also remembered a time when Pistorius grabbed him by the arm in apparent fear when the pair heard a loud bang while walking in New York City, and described two occasions in which the runner lost his temper but was not aggressive under "abusive questioning" from journalists. He also said he was assisting Pistorius in plans to take Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, to races in Britain and Brazil, and a concert in Italy. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel tried to pick holes in Van Zyls testimony, pressing the agent for details about a reported incident in which a South African athlete who was sharing a room with Pistorius asked for them to be separated because Pistorius was allegedly arguing frequently on his telephone. He also referred to a 2012 Paralympics race in which Pistorius accused the winner of breaking the rules by using prosthetic limbs that were too long. Van Zul acknowledged that it was the "wrong place and wrong time for him to react in such a way" but noted there was a "long lead-up" to the incident in which Pistorius had expressed concerns that rules were being flouted. Nel also described Pistorius plans to take Steenkamp on trips as an example of alleged narcissism after Van Zyl quoted the athlete as saying he wanted his girlfriend "to see what my world is about, the pressure that Im under" and "how I need to perform." During an adjournment, Van Zyl and Pistorius shook hands. The two men patted each other warmly on the back. ' ' '