NBA free agency winners and losers: Lakers will be contenders; Heat and Mavs are TBD

NBA teams spent serious money in the three days of free agency, but there weren’t many surprises (except for the dollar amount given to some players).

Of the top 20 players in USA TODAY Sports’ ranking of free agents, just two changed teams by reaching a new deal. Fred VanVleet left Toronto for Houston, and Donte DiVincenzo went from Golden State to New York.

But Kyrie Irving returned to Dallas, Draymond Green went back to Golden State, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton stayed with Milwaukee, Kyle Kuzma, even among Washington’s rebuild, will be back with the Wizards, and Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell didn’t leave the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now, two major players have situations that need to be resolved, but they weren’t free agents. James Harden wants a trade out of Philadelphia, and Damian Lillard requested a trade from Portland.

But status quo among the big names was the theme.

Let’s take a look at the winners and losers in the early days of NBA free agency:

WINNERS

Fred VanVleet

In 2016, right after no team selected him in the draft, Fred VanVleet famously tweeted, “Bet on yourself.” Since then, VanVleet signed contracts worth $18 million, $85 million and on Friday, VanVleet agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal with the Houston Rockets. VanVleet’s contract is the largest for an undrafted player in NBA history.

The seventh-year guard from Wichita State turned into an All-Star with the Toronto Raptors in 2022 and was an integral member of the Raptors’ 2019 championship.

After his new deal with the Rockets, he double-downed on his original tweet, writing, “Again,” with dice.

Rich Paul/Klutch Sports

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and his team of agents negotiated almost $500 million worth of contracts in the first three days of free agency: three years and $130 million for Fred VanVleet; five years and $160 million for Jerami Grant; four years and $100 million for Draymond Green; three years and $55 million for Jordan Clarkson; two years and $8 million for Troy Brown; and two years and $4.6 million for Cam Reddish.

With a few of his clients still free agents but expected to sign with teams, that amount will grow.

Rob Pelinka/Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers vice president of basketball operations continues to improve the roster in small but meaningful ways. It started at the trade deadline when the Lakers acquired D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, and it continued in free agency.

The Lakers retained their restricted free agents Hachimura (three years, $51 million) and Austin Reaves (four years, $56 million) and then reached deals with Russell (two years, $37 million), Gabe Vincent (three years, $33 million), Taurean Prince (one year, $4.5 million), Cam Reddish (two years, $4.6 million) and Jaxson Hayes.

That leaves the Lakers with a starting lineup of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell, Reaves and Hachimura, and depth featuring Vincent, Prince, Vanderbilt, Reddish, Hayes and Max Christie.

There might not be a big-time free-agent signing worth $100 million-plus, but the Lakers made improvements that should ensure they’re a contender in the West after reaching the conference finals last season.

Draft class of 2020

Memphis’ Desmond Bane, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton cashed in massive extensions worth more than $200 million over five seasons, and for Ball and Haliburton, that total could top $250 million if they meet the designation maximum rookie extension criteria such as winning MVP, Defensive Player of the Year or making one of the league’s three All-NBA teams.

The Grizzlies secure Bane, who was the last pick in the first round in 2020, and maintain a championship timeline with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Pacers have the making of an All-Star backcourt with Haliburton and Benedict Mathurin, and they just acquired Bruce Brown (free agency) and Obi Toppin (trade with Knicks) to go along with Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The Pacers have something cooking.

The Hornets have work to do with their roster, but they’re building around Ball and should get an infusion of cash from a new majority ownership group.

Update: On Monday, the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 pick in 2020, reached a deal on a maximum designated rookie extension that is worth at least $207 million over five seasons and could be worth more than $250 million.

Phoenix Suns

With Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal on the roster taking up much salary cap space, the Suns didn’t have a lot of financial options in free agency, but on paper, they filled the roster and added depth with intriguing players: Eric Gordon, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks, Damion Lee, Josh Okogie and Chimezie Metu. Time will reveal how good these deals are, but it looks like a good start for Phoenix.

LOSERS

Denver Nuggets

It’s hard to be a loser when you’re less than a month removed from winning a championship. Can’t take that away from the Nuggets. But the NBA moves fast, and Denver lost quality depth in Bruce Brown (Indiana Pacers) and Jeff Green (Houston Rockets) in free agency.

The Nuggets will need to find ways to replenish what they lost.

Even though Brown said it wasn’t only about the money and Nuggets coach Michael Malone said on the parade day that Brown wasn’t going anywhere, the $45 million from the Pacers was too much to ignore.

Portland Trail Blazers

Losing the face of a franchise, especially one as beloved as Damian Lillard is in Portland, is never good. One could see this breakup coming for miles, but it doesn’t make it any easier. The Blazers can salvage Lillard’s trade request with a great deal, but it may be a few seasons before the Blazers see the rewards of such a trade. Portland GM Joe Cronin has franchise-changing decisions to make with Lillard.

Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden opted into the final season of his deal with the expectation the Sixers will trade him. They are not extending Tyrese Maxey, and they lost Georges Niang, Shake Milton and Jalen McDaniels in free agency.

This is close to a to-be-determined situation, and the Sixers very well could end with a nice return on a Harden trade. But right now, the Sixers haven’t done enough to keep up with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Pressure is on president of basketball operations Daryl Morey to make a trade that ensure the Sixers are contenders featuring 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid.

New York Knicks

The Knicks traded Obi Toppin, the No. 8 pick in the 2020 draft, to Indiana for spare parts, and Derrick Rose (not a huge loss) left for Memphis. Josh Hart opted into the final year of his contract with the Knicks, and the team reached a four-year, $50 million deal with Donte DiVincenzo. But the Knicks didn’t do enough to improve on their 47-35 record (fifth place in the East).

TO BE DETERMINED

Miami Heat

In free agency, the Heat lost Gabe Vincent (Lakers) and Max Strus (Cleveland), two key players for the East champions. For now, that hurts. But if the Heat acquire Damian Lillard in a trade with Portland, their offseason will be a success. Lillard, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will keep the Heat in contention. Can they pull it off?

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs were in a difficult position. If they didn’t re-sign Kyrie Irving, they would not have had an elite player next to star Luka Doncic. Dallas gave up players and draft picks in the trade for Irving in February so there was a compelling need to retain him. The pairing didn’t work well enough to get the Mavs into the playoffs, but it’s worth seeing how this works out from the start of a season, especially given how much Dallas invested in Irving: three years, $126 million. It's also not that bad of a contract for the Mavs given that Irving is one of the top guards in the league.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agency 2023 winners, losers: Lakers improve, Nuggets falter