Early NBA Free Agency Winners & Losers

The NBA free agency period kicked off at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Teams have been busy trying to improve their rosters since then.

Some teams made big moves, others not so much, and a few stayed the same.

Early Free Agency Winners and Losers:

### Winners

#### Dallas Mavericks
Dallas addressed a key need by adding Klay Thompson. While he may not be the defensive star he once was, his shooting skills are still top-notch. With Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic driving to the basket, Thompson will provide essential perimeter scoring and floor spacing. If he stays healthy, he’ll be crucial for their success.

#### Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers grabbed Paul George, arguably the best free agent available. Now they have a new “big three” with George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. If Embiid and George remain healthy, fans will see them as serious contenders in the East next season . Nick Nurse has a solid bench too; they’re aiming for a deep playoff run.

#### Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City signed Isaiah Hartenstein for three years at $87M. He was the top center available this summer. Adding Alex Caruso via trade also strengthened their roster significantly. The Thunder’s team looks strong heading into the 2024-25 season with rookie Nikola Topic showing promise as well.

Fans might think these moves make OKC a real threat in the Western Conference now!

### Losers

#### Milwaukee Bucks
While other teams improved around them, Milwaukee stood still. The Celtics kept most of their championship roster intact; Knicks added Mikal Bridges; Sixers got George—meanwhile, Taurean Prince is Milwaukee’s only notable addition so far . They had a tough last season; without changes, it’s hard to see them competing for a title next year.

#### Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers lost Paul George but extended Kawhi Leonard’s contract and still have James Harden . Losing George without getting anything back is tough though—it weakens their core significantly despite efforts from Ty Lue’s team to adjust quickly.

#### Denver Nuggets
Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando Magic hurts Denver badly ! He’s won two NBA championships and was an essential role-player for them—they haven’t found anyone similar yet due to limited cap space issues… This makes it harder for Nuggets to aim high next season unless they find some good replacements soon!

What do you think about these early winners and losers?