Darko Milicic is $20 million richer and other happenings on July 1st

Even though I live in Canada I look forward to July 1st not because it is Canada Day but more because it is the first day of free agency for the NHL and the NBA.  Yesterday was a holiday here in Canada so there was a lot of relaxing and lounging going on.  Canadians were not the only ones to turn off the switch to their brains as the NBA GMs gave out ridiculous contract to too many mediocre players.  If you can imagine somebody winning the lottery and then going out and spending recklessly that would describe the day's events.  A league full of owners who cried about losing money last season has given out huge contracts to role players such as Channing Frye and Amir Johnson.

What is the worst contract given out to a role player yesterday?
It really pays to be a mediocre big man in the NBA these days as the following four serviceable NBA big men received borderline outrageous contracts.  You know it is bad when somebody who averages half of a double-double (I am looking at you Amir "6 points and 5 rebounds" Johnson) is going to annually make almost $7 million for the next 5 years.  These deals almost make the Mike Miller to the L.A. Lakers 5 year, $30 million rumor actually believable.  Deals such as Rudy Gay's and Johnson's that pay potential stars as stars are usually not a good thing since these guys sometimes do not make that leap.

- Phoenix Suns signing Frye to a 5yr/$30million deal
- Toronto Raptors signing Johnson to a 5yr/$34million deal
- Minnesota Timberwolves signing Darko Milicic to a 4yr/$20million deal
- Milwaukee Bucks signing Drew Gooden to a 5yr/$32million deal
- Memphis Grizzlies signing Rudy Gay to a 5yr/$81.6million deal

That is almost $200 million spent on one good player (Gay) and four average at best players.  On talent alone are these five guys better than the starting five of the worst NBA team from this past season: the 12 win New Jersey Nets (Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Yi Jianlian and Jarvis Hayes)?

Max money to good but not great players
I firmly believe that I am not in the minority when I say that Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are the only two players worth maximum money in the free agent market this offseason yet NBA GMs will give out max money contracts to lesser players.  I have a hard time believing after watching Joe Johnson choke in the playoffs that he is a franchise player worth max money.  I have watched Chris Bosh play for my beloved Raptors for seven seasons and do not think for one second that you can win an NBA championship with him as your number one guy.  Most casual fans know this but somehow the GMs who are put in charge of handing out millions of dollars will get caught up in the hype and since there is only one Lebron the teams that do not get him will be left with a ton of dough to spend on good but not great players.

Lebron + Wade + Bosh = the dark side?
From reports that I have read apparently the New York Knicks arrived at Lebron's driveway just as the New Jersey Nets, led by billionaire Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov and rap mogul Jay-Z, were leaving which obviously makes me wonder if Jay-Z and his entourage gave the stinkeye to James Dolan and Allen Houston as they pulled up beside them. The big rumor is that James, Wade and Bosh made a not so secret pact to join forces and take less money to play together.  I highly doubt that all three will end up on the same team but if the improbable became true and all three ended up on the same team then wouldn't they eventually become the most vilified group in sports history?  Sure it is always fun for a little bit to see the American Dream Team whoop on Germany but eventually the novelty has to wear off and it is not like Lebron, Wade or Bosh have THAT likable personalities. C’mon, you cannot tell me that Lebron, Wade and Bosh on the same team for even one season would not be the most interesting season since Michael Jordan retired.  Heck, I kind of think this offseason is the most interesting thing in the NBA post-Jordan.