The NBA offseason moved fast this year — so fast that it started before the NBA Finals were even over with the Kevin Durant trade. Then there were a series of trades around the draft, followed by potential free agents re-signing with their teams (James Harden, Kyrie Irving) or opting in (LeBron James). Then, free agency began and we quickly saw blockbuster moves, such as the Bucks waiving and stretching Damian Lillard to make room to sign Myles Turner.
There are still moves to be made, but the dust is starting to settle. Who won the NBA offseason and free agency? Let’s break it down.
WINNER: Houston Rockets
Adding Kevin Durant — at the affordable price of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and one first-round pick (plus five seconds) — already made the Rockets winners. Everyone who watched their first-round playoff loss to the Warriors understood this team needed a combination of experience (gained in that series) and one more player who could just bend defenses and get a bucket in the half court under pressure. Kevin Durant is as good at that as anyone who ever played the game.
The Rockets did much more than that. They signed Dorian Finney-Smith (four years, $53 million), who is at least as good a defender, if not an upgrade, on the wing from Brooks, with fewer technical fouls. They signed Clint Capela to a three-year deal as a backup center. They re-signed Fred VanVleet to new contract, extended Jabari Smith Jr. on a fair deal, and re-signed Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green.
The Rockets enter next season as clear title contenders, a team that can push Oklahoma City in the West. That is the definition of a good offseason.
WINNER: Atlanta Hawks
Give new general manager Onsi Saleh credit, the Hawks have had a tremendous offseason (now Hawks fans just need to hope ownership and their family don’t step in to help).
Building around an undersized point guard who is not a great defender is tricky; it requires an elite rim protector — like Kristaps Porziņģis, whom the Hawks acquired in the Boston fire sale (a bet on KP being healthy is baked into this). The Hawks poached Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Minnesota, making a fearsome defensive wing combo with Dyson Daniels. The Hawks added more shooting with Luke Kennard.
Then there was draft night, when the Hawks fleeced New Orleans, trading back 10 spots, from No. 13 to No. 23, and getting an incredibly valuable 2026 unprotected first-round pick. That could pay off big a year from now.
Whatever happens with that pick, the Hawks are going to jump from “maybe they can make the play-in” to a potential top-four team in the East next season, they certainly should be top six. That is winning the offseason.
LOSER: New Orleans Pelicans
What is the plan? What is the direction in New Orleans? If you can answer that, you’re doing better than I.
There are things the Pelicans did right this offseason. They held on to Zion Williamson rather than trade him for a below-market offer (plenty of teams were interested, but only with lowball bids). They drafted Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and Maryland’s Derik Queen at No. 13 (a potentially good big man, but with a game that overlaps Zion’s).
However, two things still have them as losers on this list. One is the question a couple of paragraphs up: What is Joe Dumar’s plan? It’s hard to see the path they are trying to walk.
The other was the draft night trade sending out a 2026 unprotected first-round pick — the most favorable of the Pelicans’ or Bucks’ picks, so probably the Pelicans. While they should improve on their 21-61 record from last season, in an incredibly deep West, it’s very likely this is a lottery pick — and if Zion is injured again, a high lottery pick — in a very deep draft. That was a huge asset to give up and a massive bet on Queen.
WINNER: Denver Nuggets
Denver was a lot closer than people seem to recall to being in the Finals and possibly earning a second banner hung in Ball Arena — Nikola Jokić and company pushed Oklahoma City to seven games before losing.
What held the Nuggets back in that series? They needed more depth, a little more shooting, and a little more defense. Denver addressed all of that this offseason. It traded Michael Porter Jr. for an upgrade in Cameron Johnson from Brooklyn — Johnson is just as good a shooter as MPJ, a much better defender, and plays a more high-IQ game with fewer mistakes. Denver brought back Bruce Brown Jr. It added Tim Hardaway Jr. for shooting.
And they probably traded for Jonas Valanciunas, giving up only Dario Saric, who was not part of the Nuggets’ rotation last season. Valanciunas would be the best backup center Denver has had in the Jokic era, helping slow the bleeding when Jokic rests. This is still on hold, however, because Valanciunas is considering walking away from the Nuggets and the NBA entirely, returning to Europe, where he reportedly would prefer to play. To do so would leave about $10 million and a chance to compete for a title on the table, but what matters most to him?
Assuming Valanciunas stays, the Nuggets will have given up two rotation players (Porter Jr. and Russell Westbrook) and added four, plus it appeared during the postseason that Julian Strawther is ready to make a leap. If the Nuggets give Jokic more depth, with better shooting and defense around him, this team can do more than just push OKC to seven games.
LOSER: Indiana Pacers
It’s been a rough few weeks for Pacers fans. Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles in Game 7 was just gut-wrenching.
Then ownership compounded the situation by letting Myles Turner walk. The Pacers were expected to be headed into the luxury tax next season to keep Turner and the rest of a Finals team together. Then Haliburton went down, and suddenly next season looked like a gap season. Herb Simon balked at paying the tax of a gap year, the team lowballed Turner, who found a team willing to pay him the going rate for a quality starting center in Milwaukee, and he bolted. Indiana got nothing out of it. (One could argue the Pacers put themselves in this spot by overpaying Andrew Nembhard to retain their own free agent a year ago, but he lived up to the price.)
Indiana isn’t done, they have a season to restock the cupboard for when Haliburty is healthy, and there are plenty of moves they can make. However, Indiana made a bad situation worse and risked turning this season into a one-time fluke.
WINNER: Orlando Magic
This is pretty straightforward, but it was long enough ago that people seem to have forgotten: Acquiring Desmond Bane was a perfect move for Orlando. They look like a top-four team in the East next season.
Orlando has an elite defense, plus star forwards in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but they needed more shooting and some shot creation from the guard spot. Bane is exactly that (career 41% from beyond the arc and an improved shot creator) who is a hand-in-glove fit at the two guard next to Jalen Suggs.
Adding Tyus Jones as a backup point guard was a smart move, too.
WINNER AND LOSER: Milwaukee Bucks
I’m not sure what to do with Milwaukee, because I don’t know the answer to this question: Did the bold move to get Myles Turner make Giannis Antetokounmpo happy enough to stay and not request a trade?
My gut says yes, he’s always been loyal. My bet is he plays out another season with the Bucks, but that’s no sure thing. Milwaukee, as constructed, is good, but it needs another shot creator at the guard or wing to compete with teams like Cleveland and New York at the top of the East. That player will not be easy to get.
Even if Antetokounmpo stays, plays like an MVP, and the Bucks make a deep playoff run, this is a house of cards. The Bucks don’t control their own first-round pick until 2031 and now have $22.5 million in dead money on their books for the next five years from the Lillard buyout. This team is not in good long-term shape, but they should be okay in the short term. As long as Antetokounmpo is happy.
