The Rockets are determined to build off their surprising Top 2 finish in the Western Conference and NBA playoff run this year, and the super early NBA 2025 odds expect them to be one of the league’s top contenders in the 2025-26 campaign because of the big-money moves they’ve made so far this offseason. Acquiring a proven scorer in Kevin Durant is never a bad idea, and he’s not the only reinforcement Houston signed.
The Nuggets and Hawks are also poised to make noise next season with their under-the-radar moves. However, the same can’t be said of the Pacers and Celtics, the league’s past two Eastern Conference champions.
Today, SBOTOP lists down some of the biggest winners and losers in the 2025 NBA free agency thus far.
Winner: Rockets
The Rockets started their productive offseason by giving head coach Ime Udoka a lucrative extension before acquiring Kevin Durant. After making those moves, they re-signed Steven Adams, Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet, Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green, and Jae’Sean Tate to new deals, and they also added Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith.
The best part about these acquisitions is that the Rockets didn’t send out any premium future draft assets or indispensable young pieces. Save for Jalen Green, who went to the Suns alongside Dillon Brooks for Durant, Houston still have Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Smith, who could all take leaps next season.
Loser: Pacers
The Pacers are unlikely to make it back to the NBA Finals next season because they lost one of their core players in free agency. Indiana reportedly gave Myles Turner a lowball offer, and the longest-tenured Pacer went to the Bucks on a four-year, $107 million contract. Watching Turner walk away for nothing is brutal because the Pacers could’ve kept him and traded him for value. This move was only made possible after Milwaukee waived and stretched Damian Lillard’s massive contract.
With Tyrese Haliburton out for the entire 2025-26 season, Indiana might be tempted to make a gap-year tank to reload their roster. The only notable moves they’ve done so far this summer were acquiring Jay Huff from the Grizzlies and re-signing James Wiseman to a two-year contract following his Achilles injury.
Winner: Nuggets
The Nuggets are doing everything in their power to coax Nikola Jokic into committing his immediate future with them by surrounding him with several reinforcements. Denver started their productive summer by trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick for Cameron Johnson, which saved them around $17 million.
The additional money brought by the trade helped the Nuggets add Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. Brown was a key cog during Denver’s 2023 title run, and the former is another veteran three-point sniper who could space the floor for Jokic and co.
Denver also traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas, giving Jokic a much-needed backup. However, this is only considered a shrewd addition if Valanciunas ultimately decides against going to Europe next season.
Loser: Celtics
The Celtics realised that being in the second apron for too long is not worth it, so they decided to tear down their championship-winning core by trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. They also lost Luke Kornet to the Spurs, and Al Horford is reportedly considering retirement, per the NBA 2025 updates. In return, they received Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, Luka Garza, and Josh Minott. While all of them have the potential to succeed, they’re unproven compared to Holiday, Porzingis, Kornet, and Horford.
By going under the second apron, Boston have gained the financial flexibility they wanted. However, this won’t make fans feel much better about their chances of competing for a championship anytime soon, especially since Jayson Tatum is out indefinitely due to a torn Achilles and Jaylen Brown just came off knee surgery.
Winner: Hawks
The Hawks took advantage of the Celtics’ cost-cutting measures by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis while dumping Terance Mann and Georges Niang. Porzingis is one of the league’s unique weapons with his ability to space the floor, protect the rim, and finish inside the paint. However, he has never played at least 65 regular season games in the past three seasons.
Atlanta also signed free agents Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to shore up their wing depth. Alexander-Walker is one of the league’s most underrated perimeter defenders, while Kennard is a career 43.8-per cent three-point shooter. These additions should help the Hawks qualify as a Top 6 seed in the Eastern Conference (rather than in the play-in tournament), especially if everybody stays healthy throughout next term.
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