The Earvin Edit

LeBron James kept the NBA world waiting on yet another decision of his career. Now that the dust has settled and NBA free agency has all but wrapped up, it’s time to look back at the biggest winners and losers of the summer.

Written by Earvin Adjei

Winners:

The Philadelphia 76ers:

What can be said about Philly’s offseason that hasn’t already been said? You can start by addressing the two very large elephants in the room: trading for Jaylen Brown and acquiring future Hall of Famer LeBron James. The Sixers landed Brown from the Celtics for an aging Paul George on a bad contract, along with some picks down the line. Not only did Philadelphia unload one of the league’s worst contracts, but they also made one of their biggest foes in the Eastern Conference significantly weaker. The addition of James is just the cherry on top. The Sixers’ starting lineup now consists of two of the NBA’s leading scorers in Tyrese Maxey (28.3) and Jaylen Brown (28.7), a former league MVP in Joel Embiid, an ascending young player in VJ Edgecomb, and now LeBron James. The fit may be a bit awkward at times, but boy is that a lot of talent. Not only is their starting unit a force, but Philly also strengthened its bench by signing both Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. With all of these additions, the process may finally be complete, and the Sixers may be true contenders.  

The Minnesota Timberwolves:

With Karl Anthony Towns traded to the Knicks in 2024 and Mike Conley nearing the end of his career, Minnesota has long been searching for a star to pair with Anthony Edwards and a starting-caliber guard to take some of the stress off Edwards and command double teams. The Wolves killed two birds with one stone when they acquired LaMelo Ball from the Hornets. Acquiring Ball is a massive swing. Minnesota surrendered fan favorite Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three pick swaps (2028–30), and three second-round selections. With Ball’s injury history and sometimes questionable play style, some may see this move as a risk; it was necessary as pressure was mounting on Minnesota’s front office amid Anthony Edwards’ growing frustration following the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. Only time will tell if the move will pay off, but on paper the pairing of Edwards and Ball brings an exciting and talented backcourt to the Western Conference. 

The Miami Heat:

After what feels like countless years of striking out on star players, the Miami Heat finally landed their big fish with the trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is now paired with Bam Adebayo in a frontcourt that is sure to be elite defensively. Offensively, however, it may be a different story. With the loss of Norman Powell, the team has no ball handler that can initiate offense and set the table for others. This issue is similar to the one Houston dealt with last season. Even then, the Heat are still well-coached, tough, and play excellent defense. Miami may have some large question marks on offense, but anytime you add a two-time MVP to an already competitive team, that just absolutely has to be seen as a win. 

The Los Angeles Lakers?:

When the Lakers made the blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic in February of 2024, it was reported that the L.A. front office promised Luka that the 2026 offseason would be the one where they truly build a contender around him. Luka had one need that he reportedly stressed: an A-list big man. The Lakers seemed to have gotten their A-list big, but it came at a steep price. The Lakers acquired former Jazz center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade that saw them send off two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, alongside first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 and a massive $130 million contract for the big man. The move comes as a risk, seeing as Kessler appeared in only five games last season and has been dealing with shoulder issues dating back to his time at Auburn. Kessler was not the only one to receive big money from L.A.; the new owner seemed to be handing out massive contracts like Halloween candy. Austin Reaves re-signed with the team on a four-year, $180 million contract. Beyond Kessler, the Lakers also added Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili for additional scoring and depth, while Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Kevon Looney round out the rotation. So what has me inking L.A. as a winner of free agency? Their clear commitment to putting pieces around Luka. Reaves has already proven to be an excellent fit alongside Doncic, and if Kessler can stay healthy, we’ve already seen how far a Luka Doncic-led team with a lob threat and shot-blocking bigs can go. The Lakers offseason is leaning heavily on potential, but it is potential I’m willing to put my faith in. 

Losers:

The Boston Celtics:

Brad Stevens has long been touted as one of the elite minds in basketball; this offseason produced perhaps the most controversial decision of his tenure as Celtics GM. After years of speculation, the Boston Celtics finally made the decision to trade former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. The move came as a shocker, as Brown finished the 2025-26 season posting career highs across the board, averaging 28.7 PPG, 6.9 REB, and 5.1 AST. What makes the move even more puzzling is the return. An asset in Jaylen Brown that was among the MVP conversation last season only netted Boston an aging and expensive Paul George along with two first-round picks in 2028 and 2031. Is this seriously the best package Boston could have gotten for Brown? There were rumors of a Giannis for Brown swap, but that did not come to fruition. Did Boston panic and make a bad trade? Was this an attempt to avoid the dreaded second apron? Or was this truly the most they could have gotten for Brown? Who knows.  

The Golden State Warriors:

After failing to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline and falling short in the LeBron James sweepstakes, the Warriors once again failed to put any significant talent around Stephen Curry. For years, it seems the Warriors have prioritized keeping young players over trading for well-established veterans who can help win now. This was the case yet again this offseason as the team chose not to part ways with future draft picks to land Anthony Davis. Whether that decision was the right one remains to be seen, but what is becoming evident is that Golden State is wasting elite play in what could be the final years of Steph Curry’s career. Jimmy Butler won’t return until near the All-Star break as he recovers from an ACL injury, and the only reinforcements Steph has are Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis. Not exactly world beaters. 

Jalen Duren:

Few players hurt their own leverage more this offseason than Jalen Duren. After balling out in the regular season and being named to the All-Star team and All-NBA Second Team, Duren had an abysmal showing in the playoffs. When Cade Cunningham and the Pistons needed him most, he completely disappeared. Duren averaged 10.6 PPG in the first round and 9.9 PPG in a second-round series against the Cavs. Duren registered 15+ points in a playoff game only twice and saw his PPG drop from 19.5 to 10.2 in the postseason. Despite all this, Duren still thought he deserved a full five-year supermax extension that would see him make $57 million annually. The Pistons think otherwise and refuse to meet Duren’s demands. Duren and the organization have been in a standoff all offseason, with Duren even taking a meeting with the Sacramento Kings in hopes of Detroit agreeing to a sign-and-trade that would land them Domantas Sabonis. Once again, the Pistons rejected, and here we are. This situation is ugly, and when a guy is willing to go to Sacramento, a team that hasn’t exactly been viewed as a destination franchise, you know things have gone wrong. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers:

For a moment it seemed like LeBron would once again return to Cleveland and finish his career with a storybook ending. The Cavs sure seem like they could use James’ services. Despite Cleveland making their first conference finals appearance without LeBron since 1992, they were absolutely manhandled by the eventual champion New York Knicks in a sweep. But if you ask head coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs were analytically still in the series. Well, despite what coach Atkinson and analytics may think, the reality of the matter is that the Cavs only made it to the conference finals by the skin of their teeth, being taken to 7 games by a young Raptors team and seven games by a Pistons team with no scoring threat outside of Cade Cunningham. Once they got to the conference finals, they blew a 22-point lead on the road in Game 1 and looked mentally defeated from that point on. James Harden once again was a no-show when it mattered most, and his pairing with Donovan Mitchell is a nightmare defensively. If Cleveland’s offseason couldn’t get any more concerning, the team’s reported pursuit of Mario Hezonja says plenty about where the roster currently stands.

In late July, it is easy to determine winners and losers on paper, but the real verdict won’t come until October. Some moves will change the landscape of the league, while others end in disaster.