NBA Free Agency: Winners and Losers

It has been a little over two weeks since the free agency period started in the NBA and it has come and gone for most players and teams. Over the next month or so, teams will be looking to fill their roster and invite players to training camp to compete for a roster spot.

However, with most of free agency over it is time to recap this summer’s moves. Before we get into the winners and losers of free agency, take a look at all the signings for each team over the past two weeks.

Atlanta Hawks

• Dwight Howard – C
• Kent Bazemore – SF
• Kris Humphries – PF
• Jarrett Jack – PG

Boston Celtics

• Al Horford – C

Brooklyn Nets

• Jeremy Lin – PG
• Trevor Booker – PF
• Justin Hamilton – C
• Luis Scola – PF
• Greivis Vasquez – PG
• Randy Foye – SG
• Anthony Bennett – PF
• Joe Harris – SG

Charlotte Hornets

• Nicolas Batum – SF
• Marvin Williams – PF
• Ramon Sessions – PG
• Roy Hibbert – C
• Christian Wood – PF
• Brian Roberts – PG

Chicago Bulls

• Dwyane Wade – SG
• Rajon Rondo – PG
• Isaiah Canaan – PG

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Chris Andersen – PF

Dallas Mavericks

• Harrison Barnes – SF
• Dwight Powell – PF
• Deron Williams – PG
• Seth Curry – SG
• Quincy Acy – SF

Denver Nuggets

• Darrell Arthur – PF

Detroit Pistons

• Andre Drummond – C
• Jon Leuer – PF
• Boban Marjanovic – C
• Ishmael Smith – PG

Golden State Warriors

• Kevin Durant – SF
• Zaza Pachulia – C
• Anderson Varejao – PF
• David West – PF
• Ian Clark – SG
• James McAdoo – SF

Houston Rockets

• Ryan Anderson – PF
• Eric Gordon – SG
• Pablo Prigioni – PG

Indiana Pacers

• Al Jefferson – C

L.A. Clippers

• Jamal Crawford – SG
• Austin Rivers – SG
• Wesley Johnson – SG
• Luc Richard Mbah a Moute – SF
• Marreese Speights – C
• Brandon Bass – PF
• Raymond Felton – PG

L.A. Lakers

• Luol Deng – SF
• Timofey Mozgov – C
• Jordan Clarkson – SG
• Marcelo Huertas – PG

Memphis Grizzles

• Mike Conley – PG
• Chandler Parsons – SF
• Troy Daniels – SG
• James Ennis – SF

Miami Heat

• Hassan Whiteside – C
• Tyler Johnson – SG
• Wayne Ellington – SG
• Derrick Williams – PF
• Udonis Haslem – PF
• James Johnson – PF
• Willie Reed – PF
• Stefan Jankovic – SF

Milwaukee Bucks

• Matthew Dellavedova – SG

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Jordan Hill – C
• Brandon Rush – SG

New Orleans Pelicans

• Tim Frazier – PG
• Terrence Jones – PF

New York Knicks

• Joakim Noah – C
• Courtney Lee – SG
• Lance Thomas – SF
• Brandon Jennings – PG
• Sasha Vujacic – SG

Oklahoma City Thunder

N/A

Orlando Magic

• Evan Fournier – SG
• Bismack Biyombo – PF
• D.J. Augustin – PG
• Jeff Green – SF

Philadelphia 76ers

• Jerryd Bayless – PG
• Gerald Henderson – SG

Phoenix Suns

• Jared Dudley – PF

Portland Trail Blazers

• Allen Crabbe – SF
• Evan Turner – SF
• Meyers Leonard – C
• Festus Ezeli – C

Sacramento Kings

• Arron Afflalo – SG
• Garrett Temple – SG
• Anthony Tolliver – PF
• Matt Barnes – SF

San Antonio Spurs

• Pau Gasol – PF
• Manu Ginobili – SG
• Dewayne Dedmon – C

Toronto Raptors

• DeMar DeRozan – SG
• Jared Sullinger – PF

Utah Jazz

N/A

Washington Wizards

• Ian Mahinmi – C
• Andrew Nicholson – PF
• Jason Smith – PF
• Marcus Thornton – SG

Before we get into the winners and losers of free agency, keep in mind that nearly every team not named Golden State is a loser this summer after Durant decided to head to Oakland. Outside of that one move there are some clear cut winners and losers this summer.

Some teams may have lost a player or two but then added a solid player to replace the departure, such as Horford leaving Atlanta but the Hawks then signing Howard. Most teams were able to re-sign their stars while some were not and that leads us to our first winner of free agency.

Gold Winner: Golden State Warriors

Golden State is obviously the biggest winner of free agency by signing Durant, the biggest superstar to change teams since LeBron James. But that wasn’t the only key signing they made. After trading Andrew Bogut to Dallas, the Warriors were able to sign Pachulia, who is a very solid starting center in the NBA and isn’t injury prone the way Bogut was.

Then the Warriors signed veteran David West, who is looking to win his first championship and should help defend the paint along with Pachulia. Lastly, the Warriors were successful in re-signing some of their own players from last season, McAdoo, Clark and Varejao.

Silver Winner: Memphis Grizzles

Our next winner is a team that was able to keep their star as well as attract and sign another team’s star. Memphis pulled out all the stops to re-sign All-Star caliber point guard Mike Conley, giving him the NBA’s largest contract in its history. Re-signing Conley was huge for Memphis as they believe he is the motor behind that team. Next up is Parsons, one of the most underrated small forwards in the game.

Parsons is a player that can play both forward positions and can defend, but most important is his ability to stretch the floor with his shot. Parsons gives Memphis a pure shooter who can also handle the ball and create mismatches for opposing teams. After missing the playoffs last season, you can expect the Grizzles to be back in the playoffs this season.

Bronze Winner: Houston Rockets

This may come as a surprise for some people but despite losing Howard to Atlanta, the Rockets are a winner this summer. There were a few of teams that could have earned this spot such as Chicago, Indiana or Charlotte but in my opinion Houston had a better summer and this is why. Yes, the Rockets lost Howard, but he was not getting along with the star of the team, James Harden.

Howard leaving takes away the distraction as well as the $20+ million that he commands each year. To replace Howard, Houston brought in two shooters that can stretch the floor for Harden. Anderson is one of the best three-point shooting power forwards in the league who is an ideal pick and pop player for Harden.

Then there is Gordon. An injury prone player but when healthy, he is a player that can score in bunches. Both players complement Harden very well and should provide the push Houston needs to go further in the playoffs.

The Biggest Loser: Oklahoma City Thunder

As I said before, nearly every team in the NBA is a loser after Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors but no other team lost more than Oklahoma City. Not only was OKC unable to re-sign their superstar, they failed to sign anybody else. It is a hard time to be a Thunder fan because next summer could be the same result if Russell Westbrook leaves.

Loser: Utah Jazz

The next loser is another team that failed to sign a single free agent. The only moves Utah made this summer were pre-draft trades that left them without a draft pick. Unless Utah’s young talent continues to get better, expect another lottery pick for the Jazz in next summer’s draft.

Loser: Denver Nuggets

The final loser this summer is the Denver Nuggets. There are few teams that only signed a player or two but Denver was only able to re-sign Arthur, a seasoned reserve player that won’t make much of an impact in helping the Nuggets make the playoffs. The Nuggets could have spent some money this offseason to bring in stronger role players or even an All-Star player like Horford, but they have decided to roll with their young talent, similar to the Jazz, in hopes that their individual improvements will make them a playoff contender.

Jacob Ciesla is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Jacob, click here and follow him @JacobCiesla.