The early winners and losers in NBA free agency

The NBA free agency period opened at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. Since then, teams around the league have been scrambling to utilize their cap space to improve their rosters. 

Some teams have taken massive steps forward, others have worsened, and some have chosen to stand pat. 

Here are three early free agency winners and losers. 

Winners

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas solved an area of need with the addition of Klay Thompson. The four-time NBA champion may not be the elite two-way talent he once was, but there’s no questioning his shooting ability. Thompson brings perimeter scoring and floor spacing to a Mavericks team with two elite penetrators in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. 

Thompson’s addition makes the Mavericks more versatile in the half-court while also giving Irving and Doncic an elite release valve when opposing defenses collapse. If he can remain healthy and provide some versatility on the defensive end, he will have a significant role to play moving forward. 

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers added arguably the most talented player on the free agent market in Paul George. Suddenly, Philadelphia has a new “big three” with George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. If Embiid and George can stay healthy, Philadelphia should be considered a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference next season. 

George is still an elite two-way wing. He can defend multiple positions and score from anywhere on the court. Nick Nurse now has an All-Star and deep bench at each major position. A potential deep postseason run must be the aim. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City added Isaiah Hartenstein on a three-year $87M deal. He entered the summer as the best center on the free agency market. Factor in the Thunder’s addition of Alex Caruso via trade, and their roster has drastically improved. It’s hard to pinpoint a potential weakness in Mark Daigneault’s team heading into the 2024-25 season. 

The Thunder also added impressive rookie Nikola Topic, who could develop into a high-level rotation player. Overall, it was a solid start to the summer for a team on the cusp of controlling the Western Conference.

Losers

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have stood pat while teams around them have improved. The Boston Celtics have retained all but one of their championship-winning roster. The New York Knicks added Mikal Bridges. And the Sixers bolstered their roster with George. Currently, Taurean Prince is the only notable addition to the Bucks. 

Milwaukee had a difficult 2023-24 season. If they don’t begin making adjustments to their current roster, its hard to envision them contending for a championship next season.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers lost George in free agency after signing Kawhi Leonard to a contract extension. Ty Lue’s team still has Leonard and James Harden. However, George was the secondary scorer and defender that tied their “big three” together. The Clippers front office has done an admirable job of pivoting. 

Nevertheless, losing one of your top two talents with nothing coming back in return is a major blow. The Clippers are certainly losers at this early juncture of the offseason. 

Denver Nuggets

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a two-time NBA champion. He’s the type of role-player head coaches love. Losing him to the Orlando Magic is a massive blow to Denver. They haven’t replaced him in their rotation. It’s hard to find a diverse wing that knows how to win at the highest level when you don’t have significant cap space.

The Nuggets have gotten worse in the opening week of free agency. They failed to retain their championship. If they can’t find some upgrades in the coming months, they will likely struggle to get back to the NBA Finals next season.