While the Washington Wizards couldnt lure Kevin Durant back home, they checked several boxes on their offseason game plan.According to owner Ted Leonsis, the team went into the summer looking to lock up star guard Bradley Beal to a long-term contract; add another player on a max deal; sign a defensive-oriented big man; add skill and scoring at power forward; improve depth in the backcourt; and sign a draft pick playing overseas. Leonsis also said the team wanted to get bigger and younger.All of that happened except for the max deal, leading Leonsis to call this a very productive offseason.Most importantly, the Wizards agreed on a $128 million, five-year contract with Beal. They also signed big men Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson and Jason Smith, traded for guard Trey Burke, and inked 2012 second-round pick Tomas Satoransky to a three-year deal.Add those players to the core of John Wall, Beal, deadline pickup Markieff Morris, Otto Porter and Marcin Gortat and the Wizards are deeper than they were last season, when they went 41-41 and missed the playoffs.With the additions of myself, Ian, Andrew Nicholson, Trey Burke, its looking like its going to be a great year for us, Smith said on a conference call Monday. You have a tested core of young guys that have been in the playoffs, that have played big minutes in the playoffs and have gone deep into the playoffs into the second round. Wed like to get back to that this year.Signing Durant, who grew up in the D.C. area, wouldve pushed the Wizards into instant contender status in the Eastern Conference. Instead, Durant joined the Golden State Warriors team that beat his Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals.Durants former coach Scott Brooks has a challenge in piecing together this roster in Washington.Brooks said he likes the versatility on the roster created since general manager Ernie Grunfeld acquired Morris from Phoenix at the trade deadline, and continuing with the offseason acquisitions.We have a lot of important pieces that can move, and interchangeable parts, Brooks said last week after the Wizards summer league minicamp. Weve guys that can defend multiple positions. We want to be a defensive team that can score, not a scoring team that plays defense when it scores.The hallmark of a defensive team led the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Mahinmi, a strong rebounder and defender, to sign for four years and $64 million. The 29-year-old said he wanted to go to a team that plays hard defense and doesnt take nights off, and the Wizards fit that bill.Opportunity was a key for the 26-year-old Nicholson, who signed a $26 million, four-year contract, and 30-year-old Smith, who got a $16 million, three-year deal to be a reserve forward/center. Brooks presence is a nice incentive for Burke, acquired from the Utah Jazz for a 2021 second-round pick, given that he coached Russell Westbrook into stardom in Oklahoma City.Its the opportunity of a lifetime, the 23-year-old Burke said on a conference call Friday. I hear that he always brings potential out of young players. He pushes them. Hes looking for a competitive player with a chip on his shoulder, and I think he has a chip on his shoulder as well. Hes a great coach, so I definitely think we can relate to each other.The Wizards are a team with a collective chip on the shoulder after a disappointing 2015-16 season that led to the firing of coach Randy Wittman. The organization let 33-year-old Nene, 30-year-old Garrett Temple and 31-year-old Jared Dudley walk in free agency, replacing them with younger pieces. Washington hopes for a bigger contribution from swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. in his second NBA season.Adding Mahinmi, Nicholson, Burke, Smith and Satoransky isnt a Durant-esque splash, but Leonsis said on his website that the Wizards executed according to plan in their goal of returning to the playoffs.We entered free agency prepared to execute the plan that we conceived, developed and refined during a three-year period, and based on an anticipation of where the NBA salary cap might land, Leonsis said. While we came close, we werent able to land an additional star player to our lineup. So we then moved swiftly and smartly to execute the remaining parts of our plan and add to our returning core. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Karl-Mecklenburg-Jersey/ . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Hoodie/ . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Bradley-Roby-Jersey/ . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Bennie-Fowler-Jersey/ . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Derek-Wolfe-Jersey/ . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Bobby Boswell scored in stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-2 tie with the Chicago Fire on Friday night.The point put D.C. (7-9-13) squarely on the red line, tied with Orlando for the sixth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Chicago (6-13-9) is seven points below the line.D.C. put a long throw-in near the penalty box and the ball bounced around before Patrick Mullins put a bicycle kick off the cross bar. The rebound went to Patrick Nyarko on the left side but Chicago keeper SSean Johnson made an outstanding diving save, only have the ball go to Boswell for the easy conversion.dddddddddddd.Chicago had led since the 29th minute when David Accam put a long shot past Bill Hamid.Rob Vincent gave D.C. a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute after an indirect free kick from inside the penalty box. Razvan Cocis tied it in the 22nd with a header off a corner kick. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '