NBA: Winners and losers of the offseason (so far)

The NBA offseason is never lacking in drama, and 2026 has been no exception. Between the draft, free agency and trades, each team is looking to reshuffle the NBA landscape in its own favor. 

Champions are often built in June and July while there aren't any games being played. Take this year's New York Knicks for example, who acquired star guard Jalen Brunson as a free agent in 2022, then made offseason trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in 2024 to round out their eventual championship roster. 

However, this is also a time where contenders fly too close to the sun, making desperate, short-sighted moves that ultimately send them falling back into the middle of the pack. The Los Angeles Lakers famously traded away most of their depth to acquire star guard Russell Westbrook in 2021, and they fell from the West's elite to missing the Playoffs that same season. 

Front offices that make these splashy moves are often heralded in the moment, at least amongst their own fan bases, though it is often the steadiest ships that sail furthest. 

We took a look at all 30 teams' moves (so far), be them big or small, and determined the biggest winners and losers of the offseason. Let's jump right in. 

Note: All signings and trades as of July 10, 9 a.m. EST

Winner - San Antonio Spurs

After being outclassed by the Knicks in the NBA Finals, the Spurs came into the offseason with two clear objectives: experience and frontcourt depth. That is exactly what they found. 

Their marquee signing was veteran forward Tobias Harris, who could slide right into their starting lineup with his blend of strength, isolation scoring and shooting. While he is far from elite in any regard, he has few weaknesses, and he just proved his worth on a 60-win Pistons team where he emerged as a clear second option in the Playoffs. 

San Antonio also took two swings on potential backups for Victor Wembanyama in the draft in UConn's Tarris Reed and Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance. In the Finals, the Spurs were +8 with Wemby on the floor in nearly 200 minutes, and -20 with him off in just over 40 minutes.

Winner - Charlotte Hornets

After playing perhaps the best basketball since the team was re-established in Charlotte as the Bobcats, the Hornets shocked the league by trading away star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and picks. It sent a clear message: the team is building for the future around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. 

Ball's talent was undeniable, but so is the fact that he's expensive and generally unavailable. He had a healthy 2025-26 season, but in the previous three seasons, he had played just 105 out of 246 possible games. If his injury bug returns, selling high on him at this juncture will be considered a massive win.

Reid fills a necessary gap for the Hornets, especially with the trade of Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns. Coby White, who was re-signed will slide right into the starting lineup to replace ball. The draft picks Charlotte acquired in both deals will set them up with future flexibility, and drafting the German duo of Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson gives the team more depth and youth. 

The Hornets will likely regress this season, especially with the rest of the East fortified around them, but every move they made fortifies them for the long term. 

Winner - Philadelphia 76ers

While they pulled off a surprising playoff comeback against the Boston Celtics, the 76ers still entered the offseason with two of the worst contracts in the league. The fact that they were able to dump one of them was a win in and of itself. The fact that they received a star wing in return solidified their spot on this list. 

Trading for Jaylen Brown in exchange for Paul George was nothing short of a miracle, and the 76ers will now build around a star backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and Brown, as well as young guard V.J. Edgecombe. Not to mention former MVP Joel Embiid, who now can lighten his regular season load to better prepare for a healthy playoff run. 

Key signings like Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons and Caleb Love will help ease the losses of Kelly Oubre and Quentin Grimes. Looming over everything is the potential addition of LeBron James, who could vault this team straight to the top of the East. 

Winner - Atlanta Hawks

While the Hawks were rumored to be in on names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown, they ultimately abstained from a big move this offseason, opting instead for subtlety and prudence. 

Atlanta acquired Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins for just two second-round picks, which is great value for a rotation player. They also re-signed key midseason acquisitions C.J. McCollum and Jock Landale. They drafted guard Kingston Flemings and big man Zuby Ejiofor at positions of need and parted with Jonathan Kuminga to clear space at a crowded forward position.

Winner - Memphis Grizzlies

Seen as one of the up-and-coming young teams just five years ago, the Grizzlies traded away the final (and once most-coveted) piece of that core this offseason, offloading Ja Morant to the Portland Trailblazers. While they received little in return for the high-flying guard, it was a painful move that had to be made to turn the page.

The next chapter for the Grizzlies is an exciting one. No. 3 overall pick Cam Boozer will join a young core of Zach Edey and Cedric Coward. Also incoming are stretch big man Quinten Post, bruising big Isaiah Stewart and talented young guard A.J. Johnson. The Grizzlies hardly project as a playoff team, but they have reset their team around a new core, and have a litany of incoming draft picks from previous deals to keep building.  

Winner - Oklahoma City Thunder

While the Thunder had difficult financial choices to make this offseason, including giving away Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe for practically nothing, the team made some clear moves to bolster its present and future. 

OKC picked up the team options on Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, showing that they are willing to spend on talent to keep themselves in contention. They also added big man Aday Mara and guard Bennett Stirtz in the draft, giving them two pieces on controllable contracts for the next four years, as more difficult financial decisions await them on the horizon. 

Winner - Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers' moves this offseason were all about the present. The team will control just one of its own draft picks through 2033 after trading away two first rounders and two swaps to Utah in exchange for center Walker Kessler. Not to mention, the team parted with all-time great LeBron James, who practically carried them to a first-round victory against the Houston Rockets in last year's Playoffs. 

While the price was high for Kessler, he fills a position of need, providing a lob threat and rim protection for a star duo of Luka Doncic and the recently re-signed Austin Reaves, who are both excellent distributors and poor defenders. 

The Lakers parted with their entire starting five from most of that Rockets series, when Doncic and Reaves were injured. James is gone, along with Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and DeAndre Ayton. 

However, Rob Pelinka and co. signed replacements for all of them, with an emphasis on youth and versatility. He brought back Reaves on a massive deal. The team also added Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili, who are all intriguing rotation pieces. Draft pick Cameron Carr could provide length, athleticism and shooting, and center signing Kevon Looney adds toughness on the perimeter. 

Gutting your future is a risky strategy, but the Lakers had just one opportunity to build around Doncic with James' departure creating cap room. Just three years ago, Luka carried a similarly constructed team to the Finals. This may be his only chance to get back, and the Lakers seemed fully aware. 

Loser - Boston Celtics

If trading Paul George for Jaylen Brown made the 76ers a winner, then it follows logically that the vice versa has the Celtics on the list of losers. 

There is an argument that the Celtics, who played nearly all of last year without Jayson Tatum, will actually be better this year than last, especially after acquiring Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley. But the more relevant question is: Would they have been better just keeping Brown? The answer seems obvious. 

Missing out on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, then turning around and trading Jaylen Brown for pennies is perhaps more of an indictment on the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement than it is on the Celtics. That said, receiving George and two first-rounders for Brown is enough to cement the Celtics on this list regardless of context. 

Loser - Miami Heat

The winners of the Anteokounmpo jackpot may be the latest prime example of a team that mortgaged its present and future for a big name.  While a top-5 player comes in, out the door go Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis in the trade. But perhaps even more important is the loss of All-Star Norman Powell, who the Heat could no longer afford with Giannis on the roster. Tim Hardaway Jr., though productive, is hardly an apt replacement.

Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee because the team could no longer contend around him. But he landed on a roster that has the same issues he had there: subpar guard play, not enough shooting and lackluster depth. On Miami's end, they parted with all of their young core and future draft control, and it's still unclear whether they're a top-six team in their own conference. 

Loser - Detroit Pistons

The Pistons were one of the surprising stories of the 2025-26 season, securing the No. 1 seed in the East in the regular season, although they exited on a dud with two disappointing playoff series. The postseason left them more questions than answers, and many of those still remain unresolved. 

It became apparent that outside of Cade Cunningham, the Pistons lacked any semblance of shot creation. While new signing John Collins complements many of Cunningham's skills, losing Tobias Harris makes his burden even bigger. While restricted free agent Jalen Duren will likely be back, the fact that both sides couldn't reach an agreement on the All-NBA center's return earlier may bode poorly for their locker room. 

Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince are also nice fits around Cade, but neither is a secondary creator. Draft pick Ebuka Okorie may fit this bill, though at his age it's unlikely he will contribute right away. The Pistons are still young, and perhaps their path to this sort of player will be through a trade and not free agency, but failing to compensate for their playoff woes cements them on the losers list... for now. 

Loser - Denver Nuggets

Reports emerged after their disappointing playoff exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves that the Nuggets were looking to make radical changes in the offseason. So far, all they've done is add Marvin Bagley III. 

The team is desperate for perimeter defense, yet perhaps their best perimeter defender, Peyton Watson, remains a free agent, with teams circling trying to lure him away with an offer the Nuggets aren't willing to match. Tim Hardaway Jr., a key contributor last season, is off to Miami, and Bruce Brown is still unsigned. 

The Playoffs were a clear indictment on this roster's ability to contend, and little has been done to surround Nikola Jokic with the kind of team he needs to get back to the NBA's biggest stage. There is speculation that LeBron James could sign with Denver, but his strengths hardly provide the team with what it is so direly missing. 

Loser - Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs were another team that exited the Playoffs quietly, getting swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Simply making it that far marked progress for the team, though it's hard to make an argument they are truly close to the level of the NBA's inner circle of contenders. 

Their offseason so far has consisted of signing Donovan Mitchell to a pricey extension, the type of contract the Celtics just found out is practically immovable. An extension is all but surely on the horizon for James Harden, who once again displayed his playoff disappearing act against the Knicks. 

Losing Dean Wade's perimeter defense and positionality will hurt. Replacing him with LeBron James would be a storybook reunion for the franchise, and he would undoubtedly make them better. But being in a position where your entire offseason hinges on a soon-to-be 42-year-old free agent is hardly advantageous for a team whose core issues remain unresolved. 

Loser - New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans were a disaster in 2025-26, which was capped off by losing the No. 8 overall draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks, and watching another pick they once held land at No. 5. They are clinging to Trey Murphy as if he's the last 3-and-D wing on Earth, seemingly blind to the fact that if he had as much value as they thought, the team probably wouldn't be so bad. 

And what has the team done to improve? Re-sign DeAndre Jordan, who turns 38 at the end of this month. The team feels like a rudderless ship, unable to cut bait and reset, a la Memphis and Charlotte. Running it back with this core seems frankly irresponsible, so it will be seen if there are any moves waiting to be made. 

*Bonus: Potential losers - Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors 

Both of these teams could have easily been categorized as winners just 24 hours ago, but a bombshell report from ESPN's Shams Charania has left both in limbo. 

The two had agreed to a blockbuster trade that would send Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft compensation. However, due to the Aspiration scandal involving Leonard, that deal is now in jeopardy, leaving both sides paralyzed with an egg on their faces. 

Regardless of the resolution to the scandal, which may still be weeks away, the fact that this deal was agreed to in the first place is evidence of bad faith on one or both parts. If the involved players end up back with their old teams, the locker room repair in Toronto and potential penalties in Los Angeles could prove fatal for both teams. 

Even if the deal ultimately goes through, both franchises are hamstrung in their roster construction. While the Clippers appeared ready to take a step back, the Raptors seemed ready to go all-in on a title run, which now seems increasingly unlikely.