NBA free agency is a week old, and it has provided basketball fans with plenty of surprise signings and monster contracts.
Plenty of players have changed teams, thus altering the balance of power across the league.
Here are notable winners and losers from NBA free agency so far:
Winners
Golden State Warriors
This one is pretty simple. The Warriors agreed to sign one of the best free agents ever in superstar forward Kevin Durant and also agreed with veteran big man David West to join them on a one-year veteran’s minimum contract. Ray Allen might be interested in an NBA return with the Warriors, too.
Golden State now is the new super team and the overwhelming favorite to win the 2017 NBA title.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs weren’t able to sign Durant, but adding two-time champion Pau Gasol strengthens their frontline with his ability to score and defend well from both the power forward or center positions.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics also missed out on Durant, but adding All-Star forward Al Horford was a huge upgrade for a team that won 48 games without a superstar last season. Horford gives head coach Brad Stevens lineup versatility, outside shooting and rim protection. This deal also makes Boston a more attractive destination for future free agents.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls could’ve gone into rebuild mode by trading Jimmy Butler after dealing Derrick Rose to the Knicks, but instead, they kept Butler, agreed to a deal with pass-first point guard Rajon Rondo and added Dwyane Wade.
Chicago should be a playoff team next season.
Losers
Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan Clarkson’s four-year, $50 million deal wasn’t too bad, but giving Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng a combined $136 million over four years was insane. The Mozgov deal was particularly bad, as he’s almost unplayable against the small-ball lineups that are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s NBA.
The Lakers needed a superstar player to revive the franchise in the post-Kobe Bryant era, but instead they wasted valuable cap space on players who might help them compete for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
The allure of Los Angeles in free agency just isn’t what it used to be.
Atlanta Hawks
Losing Horford and adding center Dwight Howard was a downgrade, and giving swingman Kent Bazemore a max contract wasn’t too much better. Losing point guard Jeff Teague via trade wasn’t a surprise given Dennis Schroder’s emergence last season, but it still makes Atlanta worse in the backcourt.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have agreed to deals totaling $110.5 million with Trevor Booker, Jeremy Lin, Justin Hamilton and Tyler Johnson. That’s a lot of money for average to slightly above-average players. It’s good news for the Celtics, though, as these contracts pretty much guarantee the Nets still will be among the Eastern Conference’s worst teams next season. (Boston can swap 2017 first-round picks with Brooklyn.)
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies didn’t let starting point guard Mike Conley walk in free agency, but the price to keep him was a whopping $153 million over five years. That’s an insane amount of money for Conley, who’s very good but not one of the five best players in the league at his position. Memphis also dished out a max four-year contract worth $94 million to Chandler Parsons, who had knee surgery in 2015 and has missed 36 games over the past two seasons because of injuries.
New York Knicks
A four-year deal worth $72 million for Joakim Noah would’ve been acceptable a few seasons ago, but not in 2016, when the veteran center is 31 years old and averaged just 4.3 points per game last season. He also played in just 29 games last season and has never played a full 82-game campaign.
The Knicks also traded for oft-injured point guard Derrick Rose. This is another move that would’ve been good four years ago, but not in 2016. Maybe the Knicks have plans to unveil a time machine or something.
Miami Heat
Losing Deng and face-of-the-franchise Dwyane Wade are two massive losses that Pat Riley probably won’t be able to address this late in free agency. Tyler Johnson also might leave if the Heat don’t match his offer sheet from the Nets. Miami had better hope center Hassan Whiteside doesn’t decide to pull out of his max contract and sign with a team more suited to win now.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Losing a player of Durant’s caliber for nothing makes you a colossal loser. Nothing more needs to be said.
Thumbnail photo via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
