Blackhawks, Bowen Byram agree to 6-year contract extension: Source
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Bowen Byram is locked up in Chicago after the Blackhawks recently traded for him. Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images
By Scott Powers and Chris JohnstonJuly 1, 2026 8:28 am EDT UpdatedWhen Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson recently acquired defenseman Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres with a hefty trade package, Davidson knew it was the first of two large prices he would have to pay for his future No. 1 defenseman.
There was what the Sabres wanted for Byram, and there was what Byram sought in a new contract. He was entering the final year of his contract before he could become an unrestricted free agent, and the trade made sense to the Blackhawks only if they could retain the 25-year-old Byram for many more seasons beyond the 2026-27 one.
On Wednesday, the first day Byram was eligible to sign an extension, the Blackhawks agreed to extend Byram for six more years with an average annual value of $12.5 million, according to a league source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to address negotiations that aren’t public. For the time being, the contract makes Byram the highest-paid defenseman in the league, surpassing Erik Karlsson’s $11.5 million annual cap hit.
When he acquired Byram, Davidson explained it would probably cost a substantial price to re-sign him.
“It’s definitely a different dynamic than you would experience if there’s a player in your midst, and Bowen’s age, his expiration status being a UFA next summer at 26, is incredibly rare, incredibly valuable to a player, especially in this burgeoning upper limit salary cap market,” Davidson said June 24. “We can’t be ignorant to that. It’s something that we’ll have to be respectful of and also put our money where our mouth is, literally and figuratively, because we believe in this guy.
“We’re OK paying great players. And if there’s an opportunity to acquire and retain a player that we believe is elite and a star, then we will do so, and we won’t blink in doing it.”
With the trade and contract, the Blackhawks are banking on Byram to become a No. 1 defenseman. He was the first defenseman drafted in 2019, the No. 4 pick by the Colorado Avalanche, with a projection to be a No. 1 defenseman. He played a supporting role with the Avalanche during his first few NHL seasons and was traded to the Sabres in the 2023-24 season. In Buffalo, he was given more opportunity and ice time and produced more, but he still played behind Rasmus Dahlin, who finished third in Norris Trophy voting this season.
Chicago is Byram’s first chance to be a team’s No. 1 defenseman. The Blackhawks plan for him to play massive minutes, run their power play and help their young defensemen take the next step. Davidson expressed confidence that Byram is up for that challenge.
“He’s going to be provided an opportunity to again, grow his profile, grow into his game but provide an elite play-driving influence into our lineup,” Davidson said. “He’s already one of the top five-on-five play drivers in the league, and that’s before he even gets on the first power-play unit. So, we’re going to be able to provide that to him.
“We’re going to provide the opportunity to become one of the top defensemen around the league, and we feel 100 percent wholeheartedly that he can be that guy and he will be that guy. So, when you take it like that, a top-pair defenseman and we feel a potential No. 1 defenseman, there aren’t many pieces around the league that are more valuable than that.”
Byram was just as excited about joining the Blackhawks after the trade. His father played briefly for Chicago, and Byram always felt a connection to the organization. He hoped he and the Blackhawks could land on a long-term contract extension, too.
“Chicago is a place I’ve wanted to be for a long time,” Byram said on June 24. “I plan on being in Chicago for a long time. I’m hoping when the time comes, we can figure something out, for sure.”
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Tagged To: Bowen ByramNHLChicago BlackhawksThe Decision Lebron Must Make Will be for Happiness Does That Mean Heart Break for Heat
Will LeBron James's Search for "Happiness" Lead to Miami?
The Los Angeles Lakers era is over, and there's one place James won mostAdel Burton|
In this story:
Miami HeatFree Agency officially gets underway tonight at 6PM EST. The Miami Heat have already resigned a couple of their own players in Andrew Wiggins 3 years 64 million and Simone Fontecchio 1 year veteran minimum. The Heat continues tonight searching for more missing pieces and a familiar former franchise altering player has opted out of their final year with the Lakers making them a free agent.
What’s Important Now
Lebron James has told sources from Shams Charania and Barry Jackson that he will be leaving the Lakers to finish his career elsewhere. Shams reported that “I’m told this is a happiness-led decision for Lebron James. Wherever he lands in free agency, it will not be driven by money”.
"I'm told this is a happiness-led decision for LeBron James. ... Wherever he lands in free agency, it will not be driven by money."@ShamsCharania joins @malika_andrews with more details about LeBron James' decision to not play with the Lakers next season. pic.twitter.com/nvWxbAyZiw
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 30, 2026
What Legacy Means to Lebron
This could mean a lot of different things for Lebron. The one thing that sticks out to me is his legacy. Lebron has always been very interested in not only the history of the greats that came before him but his place among them. According to a quote from yahoo sports during an interview with coach Mike Krzyzewski Lebron said, "When I first knew that I wanted to play the game of basketball, I would always go to the local library," he said. There, he'd learn about the NBA's history and its pioneers for inspiration. It's safe to say that doing so certainly paid off.”
Lebron not only is concerned about his place among the greats but him sitting atop them on the throne as the greatest of all time. He said in an interview with Kenny “The Jet” Smith, "At that moment, I realized that I'm the greatest basketball player that people have ever seen. In all facets," he said. "[I] just did something that's never been done in the history of the sport." Talking about the 2016 NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Decision Part Two
There is an important decision to be made. Choosing where to end his Hall of Fame career could be just as important to him as the original decision in 2010. Though this one could be important for a very different reason. In 2010 the Cleveland front office struggled to put enough quality pieces around Lebron to win a championship. He choose to team up with his friend Dwayne Wade to hoist a championship trophy.
This time around is different. He knows this is his “last stop” on a magnificent career. He already stated he’s the best in the game back in 2016 and that his time he is looking for happiness according to Shams’s source. That happiness to me means competing again for a championship. Happiness could mean not tarnishing his legacy. Happiness could mean tying Kobe Bryant with five championships. Going back to Cleveland and failing to bring back a trophy in his final season doesn’t seem to me to be the fun route.
The real competition to me comes down to Golden State and Miami. He loves playing with Steph Curry. He played with Steph on the Olympic team. James said, “It’s one of the best experiences… it was everything. People ask me all the time… you finally got an opportunity to play with Steph. What was it? I was like everything and more. It was perfect.”
LeBron James on playing with Steph Curry for team USA
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) June 30, 2026
“It’s one of the best experiences… it was everything. People ask me all the time… you finally got an opportunity to play with Steph. What was it? I was like everything and more. It was perfect.” pic.twitter.com/duYsjoq6jD https://t.co/zAZ1s1kulX
One could argue this is a no brainer but if you had something beautiful and perfect would you risk messing that up? There is nothing that can ruin a friendship and memory quicker than the reality of playing on a team that is not good enough to compete and win it all. The Warriors have one of the oldest rosters in the NBA. Steph Curry, Draymond Green who opted out of his deal, Jimmy Butler who is never healthy.
The Miami Heat have paired the multi-talented ultra defender in Bam Adebayo with super all world Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Heat are known for catching their whale and filling out a championship roster quickly. They did this in the Wade/Shaq build in 2004 and in the big three era of 2010. Lebron knows that’s how the organization operates. Barry Jackson reported, "No surprise here but.... If LeBron wants to return, Heat would have interest, a source said. At this point, it's unclear what he wants to do."
No surprise here but.... If LeBron wants to return, Heat would have interest, a source said. At this point, it's unclear what he wants to do.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 30, 2026
What better happiness would there been than a reconciliation between the Miami front office and the fan base that loved him so much. It seems to me like unfinished business. That the fan base would cheer him again and he could ride off into the sunset competing at the highest level in the Eastern Conference that he knows so well. This time not as the villain but as the returning King, fans await his decision for them to be the “Chosen One’s”.
Published 2 minutes ago
ADEL BURTONA seasoned Content Creator with 2.5+ years of experience, building a YouTube channel past 8K subscribers while serving as an NBA/College Basketball Analyst for the 5 Reasons Sports Network. Simultaneously, I bring 11+ years of leadership and strategy expertise from roles at a fortune 100 company focusing on problem-solving and relationship-building for success.
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Met Office names 22 areas getting no rain at all during 5-day July heatwave
Met Office names 22 areas getting no rain at all during 5-day July heatwave
The Met Office has outlined which parts of the country will suffer a 5-day heatwave in early July, with some areas set to receive no rainfall for nearly a week
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Ewan Gleadow 12:21, Wed, Jul 1, 2026 Updated: 12:53, Wed, Jul 1, 2026 
Brits are set to endure another heatwave as the Met Office forecasts a return of strikingly warm weather across the country in a five-day dry spell. By the Met Office's own ruling, a heatwave occurs when "a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold."
That threshold varies across the UK, with a range of 25C to 28C across England, Scotland, and Wales. Temperatures above 25C in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, much of Northern England, and parts of the South West constitute a heatwave.
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Between 26C and 27C in The Midlands, East Anglia, and parts of Southern England and 28C in Greater London also constitutes a heatwave.
- Met Office names 45 areas facing heavy rain on Wednesday - full list
- Met Office confirms third heatwave may hit UK - but says it'll feel very different
Friday, July 3, will see warmer weather than anticipated but the country will suffer through warmer weather over the weekend. Parts of the UK will find itself ever closer to heatwave temperatures in the morning of Saturday, July 4. The first signs of the heatwave will come through on July 4, around 4pm.
Though this will not fall into the Met Office heatwave requirements, temperatures across Greater London, the Midlands, and parts of the north east, will be just a degree lower than the starting point of a heatwave. The Met Office weather map has outlined when the temperatures will spike.
Sunday at 4pm will see temperatures that line-up with the outline of what a heatwave constitutes. London will see temperatures of 28C while Southampton will hit 27C.
The UK areas set for a heatwave this weekend
- London
- Boston
- Southampton
- Rochester
- Cambridge
- Milton Keynes
- Banbury
- Ipswich
- Hereford
- Peterborough
- Yeovil
- Exeter
The Met Office has shared why heatwaves happen also. They say: "Heatwaves are most common in summer when high pressure develops across an area. High pressure systems are slow moving and can persist over an area for a prolonged period of time, such as days or weeks.
"They can occur in the UK due to the location of the jet stream, which is usually to the north of the UK in the summer. This can allow high pressure to develop over the UK resulting in persistent dry and settled weather."
Further areas will receive heatwave temperatures from Monday onwards, with highs of 30C seen across the country.
UK areas set for heatwave on Monday
- London
- Boston
- Southampton
- Rochester
- Cambridge
- Milton Keynes
- Banbury
- Ipswich
- Hereford
- Peterborough
- Yeovil
- Exeter
- Plymouth
- Nottingham
- Birmingham
- Hull
- Sheffield
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Derby
- Lincoln
- Bridlington
- Norwich
These heats are expected to last until Thursday, July 7. London is projected to receive 30C heats next Thursday while other areas of the country, including Oxford, Reading, and Rochester, will top out at 29C.
