NBA: 10 biggest winners of the Draft and Free Agency

Taking a closer look at the winners from the NBA Draft and Free Agency.

The NBA Draft is a time of hope, and new beginnings, usually followed more than a week later by NBA Free Agency, a similar time with seemingly endless possibilities. Of course, when your team drafts a player 10 spots too early or throws max money at someone who will never make an All-Star team, the mood can quickly sour.

In my efforts to maintain a rosy disposition, I’m going to focus on the 10 individuals and teams who decidedly WON the NBA draft and early Free Agency.

Mild winners

10) Portland Trail Blazers

Signing quality role players Ben McLemore, Tony Snell, and Cody Zeller to the minimum was good business, as well as letting Zach Collins walk. Re-signing Norman Powell to a not-ridiculous contract makes trading C.J. McCollum more digestible, so they’d better get on with that.

9) Dallas Mavericks

While they haven’t addressed the issue of finding Luka Doncic a good second option, the Sterling Brown two-year, $6.2 million, and Reggie Bullock three-year, $30.5 million contracts are good value. Tim Hardaway Jr. was a fair value signing. It remains to see if they can get Goran Dragic in a trade or in the buyout market, but for now, the team did well to bring in more 3-and-D players.

8) Jimmy Butler

Any time an older player who has never been and never will be in the MVP conversation can lock in a super max, that’s a win for him. Additionally, the Heat shelled out major money to add Butler’s friend Kyle Lowry and retain Duncan Robinson, ensuring that Jimmy’s golden years are spent playing for a team that’s relevant, if not a true contender.

And, no state income tax.

7) Toronto Raptors

Draft experts apparently question the decisions to pass on Jalen Suggs, and giving Gary Trent, Jr. a third-year player option is less than ideal, but getting a perfectly respectable young prospect in Precious Achua and an elite 6th man in Goran Dragic for the Lowry sign and trade was a win.

It’s still unclear what this team wants to do – I think they should blow it up, trading at least three of Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, Fred Van Vleet, and Dragic – but bolstering your trade assets at almost every position is always a good thing.

6) Charlotte Hornets

I don’t follow college hoops, but draft experts say the Hornets had a good draft. In FA, signing quality backup point guard Ish Smith (with a second-year team option) and getting a first-round pick from the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade for Devonte’ Graham is a win.

Their offseason isn’t done, as they’re still one of a small number of teams with cap space, and if they can sign another impact player, or receive picks to take on expiring salaries, that’ll boost their offseason from a B+ to an A.

Big winners

5) Los Angeles Lakers

I thought the Russell Westbrook trade was horrible. An F-. But then they shocked the world by getting numerous $10 million per year caliber guys on minimums, including awesome shooters like Malik Monk and Wayne Ellington, and Kendrick Nunn to the MLE. People like me were clearly wrong about the appeal of playing with late-career LeBron and Westbrook.

4) The Zion Williamson trade rumor mill

On the surface, trading down to get rid of the floor clogging Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe and shedding a first-round pick to get a shooting point guard in Graham demonstrates the team’s commitment to give Zion more space to operate.

But they lost star power in Lonzo Ball, even if he might not have been worth the four-year, $85 million contract he signed with Chicago. Nobody cares about Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky, and that probably includes Zion.

David Griffin would be wise to follow our friends at PelicanDebrief’s advice on salvaging the offseason with key signings. If this team again fails to make the playoffs, Zion’s future will become a sore subject for New Orleans management and their 5,000 or so fans.

3) Washington Wizards

As SI’s Rohan Nadkarni wrote after the Wizards flipped Russell Westbrook for three useful Los Angeles Lakers on short contracts and a pick:

"“Bradley Beal seems legitimately interested in sticking things out in D.C., and GM Tommy Sheppard somehow turned the allegedly radioactive contracts of John Wall and Russell Westbrook into Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrel, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Aaron Holiday…all guys who can be in the rotation on a genuinely good team.”"

That was written before the team apparently agreed to sign the fully healthy Spencer Dinwiddie, who I watched develop into an above-average starting point guard during the Nets’ rebuild. Even if it costs Washington a pick to offload salary to complete the signing, this team will have more depth and complementary pieces than any since the 49-win 2016-17 team.

2) New York Knicks

Deferring their two first-round picks for future picks was a smart move, even before bringing back their three most important free agents and signing Evan Fournier. The contracts are slight overpays, but getting team options on the final year of all four, according to Ryan McDonough, preserves future flexibility (and makes each player more tradable.)

The Knicks vaulted up at least five spots this morning with the news that they’ll be signing Kemba Walker for cheap after his OKC buyout. Though his All-Star days are behind him, Walker will be the best point guard New York has had literally this entire millennium.

1) Brooklyn Nets

Check, check, and check. Draft experts say they had a good draft, and fans won’t miss Landry Shamet. Retaining Blake Griffin and Bruce Bruce for cheap was a big, big win, topped off by getting an elite 6th man in Patty Mills.

Next. Cheap owners have no place in the NBA or in professional sports altogether. dark

In exchange for the Spener Dinwiddie sign-and-trade, the Nets get a 2024 second and a 2025 pick swap from the Washington Wizards.

Home/NBA News