Sports

A look at winners and losers in NBA free agency

After Chris Paul and Dwight Howard removed themselves from this summer’s free agent class, Deron Williams was the only true difference-maker set to hit the open market this summer.

But while Williams chose to re-sign with the Nets, plenty of other players have chosen to move on to new teams around the NBA, in what has been a wild, and often unpredictable, first two weeks of free agency.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the winners and losers so far in NBA free agency:

WINNERS

Nets: No team had more to lose entering free agency than the Nets, who put their hopes of being a playoff-worthy team in their first year in Brooklyn on retaining Williams. General manager Billy King and assistant GM Bobby Marks brought in enough talent — re-signing Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez, trading for six-time All-Star Joe Johnson and signing Mirza Teletovic and Reggie Evans — that Williams was convinced to re-up, giving the Nets a shot at competing for a top-four spot in the East this season.

Heat: The champs were unable to spend as much as other teams in free agency, thanks to new rules that limit the buying power of high-payroll teams. But they did add two excellent 3-point shooters — Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis — for less than $5 million combined. The idea of covering LeBron James and Dwyane Wade just got that much more difficult when you consider that Allen, the league’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, will be waiting to take advantage of any double-teams by hitting wide open 3s.

Lakers: The big move the Lakers were supposed to make was to acquire Dwight Howard to be the team’s next star when Kobe Bryant eventually moves aside. Instead, they kept their trio of Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum together, and added Steve Nash to try and make them all work together better. Bryant never has played with a dominant point guard like Nash, but the fact both have immense respect for one another and incredibly high basketball IQs should allow it to work out.

Celtics: After coming within one win of advancing to its third NBA Finals in the past five seasons, Boston has done an excellent job of retooling its roster, despite losing Ray Allen. They re-signed Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass to restore their starting frontcourt, as well as Jeff Green, who sat out all of last season, and Chris Wilcox, who played in just 28 games. With Jason Terry replacing Allen and at least one more move potentially on the way, the Celtics have given themselves a chance to make another run at Miami if they can stay healthy.

Jeremy Lin: How much is a good 25 games worth? According to the Rockets, about $25 million dollars. That’s how much Houston — which released Lin during the preseason — chose to give the guard in a three-year, backloaded offer sheet. The Knicks were expected to match the offer, given Lin’s incredible popularity after his sudden explosion into the American lexicon this season. But according to an NBA source, the team apparently changed its mind and won’t match the offer sheet after acquiring Raymond Felton in a sign and trade with the Trail Blazers. The Knicks have three days to reconsider keeping Lin.

LOSERS

Dwight Howard: It is the rest of us who are real losers in this, even more than Howard. The incessant trade rumors surrounding the league’s best center have continued far longer than anyone could have anticipated. But after bizarrely opting into the final year of his contract at the March 15 trade deadline, his window to come play for the Nets — the one team he always has wanted to play for, and the only one he has been willing to sign an extension with — may be finally closed for good.

Rockets: Houston has thrown dynamite into its roster, declining to sign its free agents, amnestying power forward Luis Scola and trading away point guard Kyle Lowry. Houston’s goal in doing so was clear — to make a run at Howard, who is desperate to leave Orlando. But Howard has insisted that he won’t sign with the Rockets long-term, leaving them at considerable risk if they trade several draft picks and young players to acquire the center, who would be packaged with several of the Magic’s dreadful contracts on their books.

Suns: Two seasons ago, Phoenix was pushing the Lakers to the limit in the conference finals. Now? Amar’e Stoudemire is long gone, and Steve Nash was dealt to the Lakers earlier this month. In Nash’s place they signed Goran Dragic from Houston — whom they previously had dealt to Houston, along with a first-round pick, for Aaron Brooks, whom the Suns declined to re-sign. They could wind up with previous draft disappointments O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley. Ouch.

76ers: They have done little more than tread water. A team loaded with wing players acquired one, Dorell Wright, in a trade, and replaced Lou Williams, a scorer and playmaker off the bench, with Nick Young, who never has seen a shot he doesn’t like. They also amnestied veteran power forward Elton Brand, before signing one of the biggest draft flops ever, Kwame Brown, to help replace him.

Bulls: Already dealing with the terrible knee injury superstar point guard Derrick Rose suffered in its first playoff game against Philadelphia, Chicago has done little to upgrade their roster, only signing former Bull Kirk Hinrich. Plus they dealt away sharpshooter Kyle Korver for nothing, and will have a very difficult time matching promising big man Omer Asik’s offer sheet from the Rockets.