NBA: Winners and losers from day one of free agency

Winner: Brooklyn Nets

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, shall we? No matter the circumstances, signing a top-three player and a top-15 player makes Brooklyn a winner in my book.

By adding Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets should be set up for the next four years with two of the league’s best scorers. How well Durant recovers from his torn achilles will obviously be crucial, as will Irving’s ability to fit in with a new set of young teammates after a drama-filled final season in Boston.

Even with those risks, though, and a year without Durant as he rehabs, this is a monumental moment for the Nets. Swapping D’Angelo Russell for Irving alone raises their ceiling and should solidify their place in the playoffs next season, and adding Durant the following year could vault them into the Eastern Conference’s elite.

That they were able to add two near-max contracts, as well as DeAndre Jordan‘s surprisingly bloated new deal, while keeping much of their young talent (Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen) and role players (Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris) is remarkable. Sean Marks has been heaped with praise for the way he has rebuilt the perception of the Nets franchise, but now he has some top-level talent to show for it.