FOOTBALL
Thomas signs $70M contract
Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos' star wide receiver, signed a five-year, $70 million contract just before Wednesday's deadline. It's the richest contract in franchise history and includes $43.5 million guaranteed. Had the sides not hammered out a deal, Thomas would have played this season under the $12,823,000 franchise tag, which still would have been about as much as he'd made in his first five seasons combined.
• The Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Houston agreed to a six-year, $101 million contract just hours before the Wednesday afternoon deadline for a long-term deal, the culmination of long negotiation that made the All-Pro the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history. The contract includes $52.5 million guaranteed, said a person familiar with it who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms were not disclosed.
• A person close to the negotiations says defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul did not get a new long-term contract deal from the New York Giants ahead of a deadline for players who have franchise tags. The lack of a deal by the Wednesday deadline is not surprising considering Pierre-Paul's status has been uncertain since he was hurt in a fireworks accident July 4.
HOCKEY
Oduya, Stars reach 2-year deal
The Dallas Stars have signed free agent defenseman Johnny Oduya to a two-year, $7.5 million contract. Oduya scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 76 games for the Blackhawks last season and had five assists in the playoffs. He was third on the team with 123 blocked shots, and had another 63 in the postseason.
• Justin Schultz and the Edmonton Oilers avoided a salary arbitration hearing, agreeing to a $3.9 million, one-year contract Wednesday. The 25-year-old defenseman made $3.675 million last season. He had six goals and 25 assists in 81 games last season and has 66 goals and 91 assists in 203 NHL games, all with the Oilers.
• Center Ryan Kesler has agreed to a six-year, $41.25 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks. Kesler had 20 goals, 27 assists and 75 penalty minutes last season in his first year with Anaheim after nine seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
• The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed forward Andy Andreoff to a two-year deal worth $1,175,000. Andreoff was a restricted free agent after getting two goals and one assist in 18 games last season for the Kings.
• Beau Bennett is sticking in Pittsburgh. The Penguins signed the restricted free-agent forward to a one-year, $800,000 deal. Bennett had four goals and eight assists in 49 games last season for the Penguins, but the 23-year-old has struggled to stay healthy or play with any real consistency during his brief career.
BASKETBALL
Raptors sign 2nd round pick
The Toronto Raptors have signed second-round pick Norman Powell. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.4 points last season as a senior at UCLA. He was drafted 46th overall.
• The Boston Celtics have waived guard Phil Pressey. Pressey averaged 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 12.0 minutes last season, with a season-high of 11 points against Miami on March 25. He also played in 75 games for the Celtics in 2013-14 after he signed with the team as an undrafted free agent.
• The Los Angeles Clippers have signed forward Branden Dawson, who was acquired in a draft night trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Dawson was picked 56th overall by the Pelicans last month. The 22-year-old forward averaged 12.8 points and 10.3 rebounds while playing in four games for the Clippers at the recent Orlando Summer League. Dawson played four years at Michigan State, finishing as the school's career leader in blocks (142).
TENNIS
Serena an easy winner
Top-ranked Serena Williams sailed through her opening match at the Swedish Open with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure in the first round in Bastad, Sweden. Four days after winning her sixth Wimbledon title, Williams ousted Bonaventure from the clay-court tournament in 53 minutes despite a first-serve percentage of 64. Williams, the 2013 Bastad champion, next faces Czech player Klara Koukalova, who beat the American on clay six years ago. In the first three second round matches, Lara Arruabarrena of Spain rallied to upset second-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (5), 6-0, after being 2-4 down in the first set.
HORSE RACING
California Chrome recovering
California Chrome, the 2014 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year, will recover from a bone bruise at a Kentucky farm for three months. Trainer Art Sherman said Wednesday at Del Mar that California Chrome's prognosis for recovery is good and there's a chance the horse could run again next year. Sherman said the horse will be shipped to Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., this week.
NFL
Bryant signs $70 million deal with Cowboys
IRVING, Texas — Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys have the long-term contract both sides said they wanted during a long stalemate that came right up against the deadline to get a deal done.
The All-Pro receiver signed a five-year, $70 million deal Wednesday, less than an hour before he would have run out of time to play under anything other than a one-year agreement in 2015.
A person close to the negotiations provided contract terms to The Associated Press because they weren’t announced. The deal, which includes $45 million in guaranteed money, is similar to one that Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas received at about the same time as Bryant.
Bryant, 26, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns last season with 16 and had threatened to skip training camp and regular-season games without a contract to replace the $12.8 million offer for one year he had under the franchise tag.
Owner Jerry Jones flew to New York to meet with agent Tom Condon and representatives of Jay Z’s Roc Nation talent agency. Jones said they were up until early Wednesday morning discussing terms, and the owner felt confident a deal was close to done when he went to bed.
“There was never a doubt in my mind that we wanted a long-term deal with Dez,” Jones said. “We just had to get the pot right.”
Now the Cowboys can focus on defending their NFC East title and trying to make a deeper playoff run after one that ended on Bryant’s much-debated catch that wasn’t in a divisional-round loss to Green Bay.
“Unquestionably, this is in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys to have the contract and the terms we’ve got as opposed to the franchise [tag] and ongoing or future negotiations regarding his contract,” Jones said.
The prospect of playing without Bryant was daunting for Dallas. He has more catches (381), yards (5,424) and touchdowns (56) through five years than any receiver in franchise history.
The most accomplished receiver behind Bryant is Terrance Williams, who has 81 receptions for 1,357 yards and 13 TDs in two seasons.
Sports on 07/16/2015