NBA free agency exploded in a wild first day — here are the biggest deals so far

Brandon Dill/AP

NBA free agency kicked off on July 1 with the promise that it would be a wild summer.

Day 1 didn’t disappoint. With the salary cap rising from $70 million in 2015-2016 to a projected $94 million this season, every team suddenly had money to spend.

And spend they did. In the first day teams spent nearly $2 billion, handing out enormous contracts to a free-agent class that, while lacking in star power, has plenty of talented role players. And with a rising salary cap, teams had to spend big money to beat out competitors to land these free agents.

Here are some of the biggest deals from the first day of free agency, with more still to come. (Note that these deals have been reportedly agreed upon, but not actually signed yet):

• Mike Conley re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for five years, $153 million. (It’s the richest contract in NBA history to date.)
• DeMar DeRozan re-signed with the Toronto Raptors for five years, $145 million.
• Andre Drummond re-signed with the Detroit Pistons for five years, $130 million.
• Bradley Beal re-signed with the Washington Wizards for five years, $128 million.
• Nicolas Batum re-signed with the Charlotte Hornets for five years, $120 million.
• Hassan Whiteside re-signed with the Miami Heat for four years, ~$98 million. (His exact number is dependent on the Heat’s other moves, according to Miami Herald’s Ethan Skolnick.)
• Chandler Parsons signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for four years, $94 million.
• Evan Fournier re-signed with the Orlando Magic for five years, $85 million.
• Joakim Noah signed with the New York Knicks for four years, $72 million.
• Luol Deng signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for four years, $72 million.
• Dwight Howard signed with the Atlanta Hawks for three years, $70 million.
• Evan Turner signed with the Portland Trail Blazers for four years, $70 million.
• Kent Bazemore re-signed with the Atlanta Hawks for four years, $70 million.
• Timofey Mozgov signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for four years, $64 million.
• Jordan Clarkson re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for four years, $50 million.
• Solomon Hill signed with the New Orleans Pelicans for four years, $48 million.
• Jeremy Lin signed with the Brooklyn Nets for three years, $36 million.
• Joe Johnson signed with the Utah Jazz for two years, $22 million.

The NBA is in a state where Joe Johnson, a 35-year-old, seven-time All-Star, signed a smaller deal that averages $11 million a season.

More big deals will happen in Day 2, with big names like Kevin Durant, LeBron James (he’ll be back with the Cavs), Al Horford, Dwyane Wade, Pau Gasol, and others still to agree to a contract.