All-Stars Leading This Years NBA Offseason Shake-Up

USA Today/Sports Pics

This year's offseason is setting itself up to be one for the ages, and with all of the All-Stars up for grabs the shake-up will have a long-term effect on the future of the NBA.

In what will be the most talked about headline during these next few weeks of the offseason, the LeBron James sweepstakes is now under way. The offers won't start rolling in until July 1st when free agency officially begins. And with James opting out of his current contract, plenty of teams are planning out paths on how to land the superstar.

Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love are another pair of superstars who will get their fair share of the media's attention this summer but will be on the back-burner until LeBron makes his decision.

All this news is buzzing throughout the country and we haven't made it to one of the deepest drafts since the 2003 class. That draft class featured multiple players who just so happened to be free agents this summer; LeBron, Melo, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.

LeBron James will be the big domino this offseason, of course that's what happens when you are the best player in the NBA. Once James makes his decision, whether to stay in Miami or to takes his talents elsewhere, then we can expect the rest of the free agents to fall into place.

LeBron's most likely scenario will have him back in Miami, with a much richer contract and probably without one of Miami's current Big Three, unless Wade decides to take on a limited role for less money because of his recent demise due to injuries.

Returning to Cleveland is another option for James, which is what I would suggest if I was one of the people in James ear this time around. The Cavs may have a little bit of bigger hill to overcome in order to get their homegrown kid back. That hill is made up of Cleveland Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert, and the now infamous "Open Letter" he wrote towards James after he left for South Beach.

You can basically consider every team in the NBA on the LeBron waiting list. Even teams who don't have the money or roster for James will still do their due diligence because when the best basketball player is available you at least have to ask.

The Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers are both reportedly mulling trade offers so that they could acquire a duo of James and Melo.

The Los Angeles Lakers have already begun making calls to snag a couple superstars this offseason and are hoping to trade their #7 overall pick in this year’s draft along with Steve Nash's expiring contract so they could offer two superstars a $16 million contract.

The Lakers aren't the only franchise in LA that is looking to grab some talent, the Clippers are also exploring options for landing LeBron, as is the Houston Rockets.

The Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes has been put on hold for a few franchises until LeBron makes a decision. Some teams who have no shot in snagging LeBron are in the most opportune time to try and make a tough push for Anthony's services. If I was Melo I would try and make my way out to the Windy City, but they will probably be more focused on making a push for James and may miss out if another franchise like the Knicks are able to give Melo their undivided attention and retain their biggest star since the 90's.

Kevin Love is another guy that will receive his fair share of attention this offseason. Love is still under contract with the Timberwolves, but he has let it be known that he wants out of the twin cities. The Golden State Warriors are making the strongest push for Love, but in order to land the All Star they will need to give up 1/2 of their "Splash Brothers" Klay Thompson. Love's future, as it stands, is in the hands of Minnesota Timberwolves and with the Boston Celtics offering a slew of draft picks, the Wolves could begin a team teardown and take them up on their offer.

The moves will start to fall into place starting Thursday evening when the NBA Draft is broadcast on ESPN starting at 4:30pm PT. Expect a lot of movement to take place over these next few weeks of the offseason as teams set up for a free agency frenzy and shake the entire NBA up when it’s all said and done.

Fed's Deny "Redskins" Trademark

Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports

In a new turn of events in Washington's professional football teams controversial namesake, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has canceled the teams' trademark "Redskins" name on the basis that it is "disparaging to Native Americans."

This is just the latest in the debate regarding the name of Washington's professional football team. The steam has really picked up over the last couple years and now they may have finally hit the owner, Dan Snyder, where it hurts, his wallet.

Canceling the "Redskins" trademark will now make it difficult for the organization to come after anybody who uses the trademark on any type of items, from clothes, to hats, and memorabilia.

This is sure to cause uproar for 31 of the 32 owners in the NFL because of the revenue sharing agreement between all but one team (Dallas Cowboys), and will have an ill-effect on their total revenue amount. Considering Robert Griffin III had the highest selling jersey of any one-year period in NFL history, from April 2012 to March 2013, this may hurt a lot more than if it was to happen to a lesser publicized franchise. So losing the trademark rights is a major negative for the ownership group of the NFL.

When approached on Wednesday regarding the decision by the USPTO, Dan Snyder only waved at reporters and chose not to comment.

The franchise has already filed for an appeal, so this is far from the end.

In 1999 the USPTO was able to cancel the trademark, but that decision was appealed as well and eventually turned around due to a technicality in 2003. That technicality was that the Native Americans who testified against the name were too old and should have filed their complaints when they had initially registered the nickname in 1967.

The organization believes that since the case is basically the same case as the one ten years ago, that they will once again win the case and this will end. Not everyone believes that will happen, including 49 Senators who sent a letter to the NFL last month to change their name.

Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat in my home state of Washington as well as a former chairwoman of the Indian Affairs Committee, told ESPN.com that she expects the ruling to be upheld on appeal. She then went on to say, “We’re so excited to know that finally people are recognizing that this issue can no longer be a business case for the NFL to use this patent... They will not be able to forcefully exclude other people from having derivatives of this logo or the name... This puts a big dent in their business model of trying to gain revenue from a disparaging term slur,"

For as many people this name does affect, regardless of the ones it doesn't, the name should be changed.

Dan Snyder has always said that he will NEVER change the name of the franchise, but hopefully this latest decision will leave a little gap in his pocketbook and coarse him into at least considering a name change.

The franchise is valued as the #3 NFL franchise, behind the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots, so of course Snyder is raking in the money, and a large part of that is probably from the tradition behind the franchises name. 

I understand that, but this is America and we are the people that make change when people are offended or hurt by slurs like this. 

Think if this name was based on any other persons like Whiteskin, Blackskin, or Yellowskin. NONE of those names would fly today, even if you thought for a split second that you were honoring that person.

You don't need to feel the same way as me on this issue but you have to open your eyes and understand why the name should be changed.

Whats Next For Miami's Big Three?

After a complete domination in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs retake the reigns as the best team in basketball, and for the first time in four years, we don't know what's next for the Miami Heat and their Big Three.

The legacy of the Big Three will be controversial between NBA fans.

You can say that they had a great run with four straight NBA Finals appearances. You can add that to the fact that they were back-to-back champions. 

You could also say that they were only mediocre for having three perennial All Stars and only winning two out of four NBA Championships.

As for now nobody knows how the Miami Heat, or any NBA team for that matter, will look next season and we could be in for a major shakeup now that it is decision time for a number of athletes in the NBA.

I believe that the 2012-13 Miami Heat will go down as one of the best teams in the history of the NBA, but their other three seasons of the James/Wade/Bosh era were not as impressive to me. 

They did get the NBA title in 2011-12, but that was a rough lockout season that was finished off with an NBA Finals that consisted of basically talent-vs-talent instead of a team-vs-team feel to it, headlined with LeBron James vs Kevin Durant.

Now the Miami Heat's flame seems to be burning out.

The NBA's greatest shooter, Ray Allen, is considering retiring. Shane Battier, who was a key piece during the Heat's last two championships, is set to retire. Mike Miller, who was also a key cognitive to the Miami Heat's two year reign and whose presence was definitely missed during this year's playoff run, is off helping another team's championship pursuit after being amnestied by the Heat. 

The trade of Joel Anthony, who was a beloved teammate in Miami, and ending up with Toney Douglas also seemed to be an issue for the Heat during the season. They even brought in a couple project players in Michael Beasley and Greg Oden, but that didn't pay off for them at the end and both rarely saw any playing time in the post-season.

And now the front office must wait on the decisions of Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James.

You can put a hold on the Carmelo Anthony talks in South Beach for now, because until their Big Three have made up their minds there isn't anything they can do to pursue Anthony.

Miami's best case scenario at this point would be for all three of their stars to opt-OUT of their current contracts and rework them so that they could add yet another big named player. 

If the players do decide to go this route it would set up Dwayne Wade to settle for a much lower salary because of his injury problems as of late. Bosh would also have to make a financial sacrifice and unlike last time where Bosh was able to sign for the highest contract of the three, he would be taking a back seat to LeBron and possibly another star player.

LeBron James decision is the key here, of course, and what he decides will have a domino affect on the entire NBA this offseason. 

His personal legacy may have took a hit with his third loss in five NBA Finals appearances, but his current status is still the best basketball player in the NBA, for now.

He could choose to stay and still opt out of his current contract, but only to sign for even less money (Of course he did just hit the jackpot millions in an investment he made in 2008) so maybe it wouldn't hurt his pockets too bad. 

He could also decide to jet back to his hometown and make a run with the Cleveland Cavaliers more young and athletic up-and-coming squad. That Cavaliers team is also arguably a better supporting cast to James over the Miami Heat's current roster.

At this time those are the only true viable spots that I can honestly see James going to. But hey, the Knicks, Bulls, and Lakers are hoping their names on the list too.

I am betting he stays in South Beach, but I am not too certain on his Big Three counterparts. I can see the Heat making a move for a Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Love if both Bosh and Wade opt out, and though it may be hard to believe I can see the Heat moving forward from the Bosh/Wade-era in Miami.

Seahawks Sign Veteran Defensive Tackle Kevin Williams

The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks continue to add to their depth, and have signed 11-year veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

According to league sources, Williams deal is a one-year contract that is worth in excess of $2 million.

Williams was a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All Pro for the Minnesota Vikings during his 11-years with the franchise and has accrued 60 sacks in his career. He was also selected to the All-Decade second-team of the 2000's. 

Williams hasn't been to the Pro Bowl since 2010 and hasn't been an All Pro since 2009, but could bring another leadership role to the best defense in the NFL.

Expectations shouldn't be high with Williams coming to the Seahawks. Considering this is a guy who hasn't had double digit sacks since his sophomore season in 2004, and only amassed 5.5 sacks in the last two seasons (2012 - 2 sacks, 2013 - 3.5 sacks). That doesn't mean that he still can't perform at an elite level.

Just last season Williams played more snaps than the entire defensive line of the Seahawks. If he is able to find a limited role with Seattle then he could still be a key role player with outstanding knowledge of the game.

If for nothing else, having Williams around during mini-camps will add to the competition on that defensive line that lost half of their starters from the Super Bowl. 

This will also help the coaches in Seattle see where Jesse Williams and Jordan Hill stack up; both are entering their second season and looking to make an impact on defense this season.

For those wondering, this signing does not affect anything that the Seahawks will be able to do with Marshawn Lynch, who is looking to get a pay raise and could possibly miss out on mini-camp next Tuesday.

The Seahawks have had a thing for the Minnesota Vikings talent since Carroll has been the head honcho in Seattle, picking up almost two players a season (Found a funny story on Seahawks and the Vikings players). Not all the players are able to make the final cut in Seattle, as we saw with veteran Antoine Winfield last season who was cut before the season began. 

So don't go getting any K. Williams jerseys just yet, it’s still a long road ahead to the home-opener against the Green Bay Packers.

The Seahawks mini-camp begins next Tuesday and with 10 different defensive tackles on their roster should make for some great competition.

Marshawn Lynch Holding Out For Contract Extension

AP

The Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch will not be attending a mandatory mini-camp next week according to reports, and instead "Beast Mode" will be working on getting a contract extension.

Lynch missed last week's OTA's (Optional Team Workouts), as he does every season so their was no surprise there. Then the news broke on Wednesday that he is also planning on missing the Seahawks mini-camp which starts next Tuesday.

Marshawn Lynch will be entering the 3rd year of his 4-year $30 million contract and is scheduled to make $5 million this season and $5.5 million next season.

One source close to the situation said "It's very, very unlikely that Lynch will be there,... He wants the Seahawks to renegotiate his current contract and provide him with more up-front money."

As it sits Marshawn Lynch's $5 million salary is currently the 5th highest paid running back for next season behind Adrian Peterson ($11.75 million), LeSean McCoy ($7.65 million), Matt Forte ($5.95 million) and Arian Foster ($5.75 million).

In my opinion Lynch deserves to be the 3rd highest paid running back behind Peterson and McCoy, and Jamaal Charles should be following after that (Charles is currently set to make $2.65 million next season).

After listening to Seattle's early morning sports talk show this morning (950am KJR Sports Radio), quite a few of the fans around the city are feeling like Lynch is being selfish and should man up and show up to mini-camp. 

I am not one of those fans, Marshawn Lynch was one of the turning points of this franchise, and has been the bell-cow and heart of this team since his arrival.

The current contract that Lynch is under pays him like a good running back, but let's be honest Lynch is a GREAT running back and should be paid for what he has done for this franchise. 

If nothing else they should try to give him an extra $1 million raise should suffice. Lynch has been a top rusher each of the last three seasons and is averaging 13 TD's a season in that span.

Marshawn Lynch is also one of the only backs in the history of the NFL to be able to turn a negative play into a positive, while carrying AT LEAST two defenders as he's doing it.

If Lynch does decide to carry through with his plan and skip out on next weeks mini-camp then he could face $70,000 in fines.

Lynch doesn't have much leverage on his side in this situation since he is 28 years old and most running backs hit a wall at 30. I doubt Lynch suffers the same fate as so many backs before him just based on his style of running. He makes nice cut moves and does more damage than he receives on the field.

I can see Lynch performing at a Pro Bowl level for another 2 - 3 seasons. Jerome Bettis played until he was 33, albeit a rough final season where he only garnered 368 yards but still amassed 9 TD's just because he was a "Bus" on the field which is somewhat similar to Lynch's style of ground-and-pound.

Another stick in the wheel during this process is Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell telling a room full of fans during a "Seahawk Town Hall Meeting" that he plans to implement a "running-back-by-committee". 

I am sure that didn't sit well with Lynch, but Bevell has since retracted those comments and when questioned the following week, he said that he was meaning during OTA's  (I couldn't find a link of the audio but here's a link referring to what Bevell said).

Maybe all the bad blood between the two has something to do with this:

Marshawn Lynch let's OC Darrell Bevell Know where he ranks in Lynch's book

That stemmed from a play selection; Marshawn Lynch went in for a TD that was reversed because his elbow hit the ground just shy of the endzone, Bevell then called a play-action pass instead of giving the ball back to Lynch, and thus this picture came to be.

Marshawn Lynch is still an elite back and deserves an extension. Can you blame him for looking for an extension with all the talk saying that the Seahawks will look to cut his pay or cut him after this season because of his age and salary hit in 2015 ($5.5 million pay but counts as $9 million against the cap).

What are your thoughts? Are you on Marshawn Lynch's side like me? Or are you getting bothered by his antics?

Leave a comment and let me know!

Phil Jackson Selects Derek Fisher To Coach New York Knicks

AP

Derek Fisher's offseason didn't last long and he will be reuniting with former coach Phil Jackson after accepting the coaching position for the New York Knicks.

Derek Fisher is only ten days removed from being knocked out of the playoffs at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs and will already begin working on next season.

The hire comes after rumors spread through the NBA like a wildfire that Phil Jackson would look to hire his former multi-champion point guard (Even the NBA got wind and fined Jackson $25,000 for talking about Fisher while he was still under contract with the Thunder).

Jackson made the decision to pursue Fisher after another one of his multi-champion point guards, Steve Kerr, decided to coach the Warriors over his Knicks.


Fisher's contract is reportedly a 5-year $25 million contract, and will be confirmed Tuesday during what the Knicks scheduled as "a major announcement."


Fisher had a few options and spent the previous week deciding which he would choose. It was said that the Los Angeles Lakers, who Fisher spent 13 of his 17 year career with, also were interested in Fisher's services. Fisher was also considering lacing them up for another season or taking a front office job.


This will be the second coach in as many years who will be making their coaching debut in the very next season after retiring (Jason Kidd hired was hired as the coach of the Brooklyn Nets less than a month after retiring). Oddly enough both of these coaches are in New York.

                                             

If Kidd's first season is any indication as to where Fisher will be then we should be in for some great basketball in the eastern conference (Kidd, who had a sluggish start, turned things around by New Years and coached the Brooklyn Nets to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference). Kidd's veteran-led Nets made it to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Miami Heat.


Phil Jackson had always intended to bring in a young coach that he could mentor and have an on-the-court presence at the Knicks training camp and practices. Jackson was also searching for a coach who he had a close relationship with and after his first option, Kerr, accepted the Warriors position he let it be known that the coaching search would be on hold until Fisher's playoff run was over.


Fisher and Jackson will put together the rest of the coaching staff and are said to be considering a few of Jackson's former players and assistants (Bill Cartwright, Luke Walton, Ron Harper, Kurt Rambis, and Jim Cleamons).


We should expect to see a lot of media attention on the Knicks next season, even more than the normal New York City professional sports attention, with all eyes on how Jackson and Fisher interact and play their respective roles.


Of course this is only to be expected when the greatest coach in the history of professional sports is running a team in the largest media market in North America.

NBA Finals: The Battle Of Legacies

This year's NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the defending back-to-back champions, Miami Heat, will play a pivotal role in two of the NBA's greatest legacies.

Those legacies belong to 1998 rookie of the year, Tim Duncan, and 2004 rookie of the year, LeBron James. Duncan is looking to earn his 5th NBA championship ring, which would tie him with some other NBA greats such as Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

LeBron will be trying to earn his 3rd straight NBA championship, matching what only the greatest players have been able to accomplish, leading their team to a three-peat.

It's no surprise that LeBron James has made it back to the NBA Finals since he has been the best player in the game since Kobe has aged past his prime, and this year he will have a chance to do something only a select few teams have accomplished, and that is the legendary three-peat.

LeBron wasn't able to bring an NBA championship to his hometown while he was in Cleveland, and jetted for better chances in South Beach after the 2010 season. In Miami LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh formed a very formidable Big Three. That combination has helped lead the Miami Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals (The last team to play in four consecutive Finals was Larry Bird's 1984-87 Boston Celtics) and a chance to pull off a rare three-peat (The last team to pull of a Three-Peat was the 2000-2002 Los Angeles Lakers).

Tim Duncan has the nickname "Mr. Fundamentals" for a reason and that's because when Duncan is on the court you can expect him to do all the small things. Tim Duncan is now in his 5th NBA Finals, going 4-1 all time, and is looking for nothing more than to redeem themselves from last years fallout after the unforgettable Ray Allen three in Game 6.

If Duncan is able to help lead his team to another championship he would be only the second player in NBA history to win a championship in three separate decades. The other player to pull off such a rare feat was John Salley who won a championship with Detroit in the 80's, Chicago in the 90's, and the Lakers in the 00's. The glaring difference between when John Salley pulled it off and Tim Duncan is Duncan is still playing a leading role on his team while Salley was only a role player, at best, for the latter two of his three.

The NBA Finals already have plenty of storyline's to bring in an average NBA fan and a superfluous amount of storyline's for the hardest core of NBA fans.

Expect this to be one of the most memorable finals in a long time, with the most on the table for each franchise since the 2008 and 2010 finals when the NBA's marquee franchises, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, met in some of the greatest finals games in history.

So go grab your drinks and Hors d'oeuvres and sit back and relax while we watch some great basketball over the next week or so. I predict the San Antonio Spurs win in six, but since I have no team in the race I will be satisfied with however this series plays out.

History will be made this year and the battle for Duncan and LeBron's legacies will change the future of the NBA.