Winners And Losers Of The NBA Free Agency Period

The big names have been swooped up and the NBA landscape has been shifted. Who won the NBA free agency period and who blew it?

• Winner: Los Angeles Clippers: What appeared to be a major whiff on the part of Jerry West and company turned into a massive steal for the Clippers. Not only did they land Kawhi Leonard, but they also added a solid scorer and two-way defender in Paul George. Compounded with a gritty defense and deep bench, the Clippers should be an NBA Finals favorite heading into next season.
• ​Winner: Philadelphia 76ers: Losing J.J. Redick, a solid shooter, and superstar Jimmy Butler hurts. However, the Sixers retained Tobias Harris, who is a necessity, and got stronger in the post with Al Horford. They added Josh Richardson, who is a flexible, versatile player. You can argue that the Sixers have the best starting five in the NBA right now.
• Winner: Kawhi Leonard: Kawhi proved to be ‘one hell of a recruiter’ after getting Paul George to join forces. The ball was in his court, allowing him to meet with every potential suitor. On top of that, he returned to Southern California, his home region. Mr. Fun Guy wins in the end.
• Winner: Brooklyn Nets: Picking up DeAndre Jordan, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant all in one fell swoop catapulted the Nets into the status of NBA title contender. Even with KD likely out for the entire 2019-2020 season, the Nets will be contenders. Add in a bench featuring Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris and this team can be scary.
• Loser: James Dolan: The other NBA team from New York whiffed on free agency. They passed up on Kawhi Leonard to pursue other free agents and weren’t even a thought in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. All of this points back to the owner, James Dolan, who hasn’t done much to foster a winning team in recent memory. In fact, his Knicks are the only loser on this list.