Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:

NBA Insider

The first 24 hours of free agency featured some transformative transactions, some good and some bad.

Here are our three winners and losers from the start of the offseason:

Winners

1. Rockets

Houston was the beneficiary of an untenable situation in Phoenix when it acquired Kevin Durant and held onto its most valuable assets, outside of the No. 10 pick in last month’s draft. Keeping Fred VanVleet around on a more team-friendly contract was a smart piece of business a few days later. Rafael Stone’s front office continued the aggressive push in free agency, brining over Dorian Finney-Smith from the Lakers and Clint Capela from the Hawks. The Rockets also retained Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate and Jeff Green on veteran minimum contracts. Add it all together and no team has taken off quite like the Rockets this offseason.

2. Nuggets

Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace are doing at heck of Siegfried and Roy impression in their first 10 days leading Denver’s front office. It looked like the Nuggets were stuck for at least another season with an expensive core four of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon that was constructed in the previous collective bargaining agreement. Tenzer and Wallace announced their arrival by trading Porter and the nearly $80 million left on his contract for a more versatile and cheaper replacement in Cam Johnson. A day later, Denver’s new duo pulled off another trade many thought to be unlikely at best, sending Dario Saric’s contract, albeit expiring, to Sacramento for Jonas Valanciunas, the legitimate backup center the Nuggets have lacked in recent years. Adding Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. on veteran-minimum contracts provides the versatility that elevates the Nuggets into the same tier as the Thunder and Rockets. Denver still has an open roster spot to add even more depth.

Denver Nuggets, Bruce Brown reunite on one-year deal | Free agency tracker

3. Hawks

The Eastern Conference appears up for grabs after the unfortunate series of Achilles tears that struck Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, and no team on the other side of the country was as aggressive as Atlanta. First, there was a buy-low trade for Kristaps Porzingis that provided some financial relief to a Celtics organization that’s staring at a gap year after Tatum’s injury. The Hawks also took advantage of Minnesota’s complicated salary-cap situation after the Timberwolves paid to retain Julius Randle and Naz Reid. That left Nickeil Alexander-Walker available, and the Hawks swooped in for the 3-and-D guard via a sign-and-trade. Atlanta added another lethal shooter in Luke Kennard in free agency. The Cavaliers and Knicks look like the most talented rosters in the East, but Atlanta and Orlando look like tier-two teams.

Losers

Denver Nuggets sign veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. from Detroit

1. Bucks

Milwaukee’s upcoming season was impacted when Damian Lillard went down in the playoffs, and the Bucks decided the best course of action was waiving and stretching the more than $100 million left on his contract. The Bucks used the cap space created to add Myles Turner, but the rest of the retentions and additions fail to inspire confidence. This team is built around the frontcourt of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis and Turner. The backcourt features Vasilije Micic, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Harris and AJ Green. That’s a lot to put on Antetokounmpo, who doesn’t appear to be overly encouraged by the direction his team is taking.

2. Lakers

A championship, if not multiple, became the expectation as soon as Rob Pelinka pulled off the Luka Doncic heist. Since then, the Lakers have flamed out in a five-game series against the Timberwolves in the first round and failed to make meaningful improvement early in free agency. Finney-Smith’s move hurts the Lakers and helps a competitor. Los Angeles signed Jake LaRavia to replace Finney-Smith, which adds slightly more shooting but less of pretty much everything else. Don’t be surprised if Deandre Ayton ends up in Los Angeles, but he’s not enough to make the Lakers feel much better about their position in a loaded conference.

Denver Nuggets trade Dario Saric to Sacramento

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3. Celtics

A lot of Boston’s breakdown was by design. The Celtics were one of three teams operating in the second apron of the salary cap last season and doing so this season made no sense. Boston’s championship hopes are on pause as long as Tatum is sidelined, and it looks like that will be most if not all of next season. The good news for Boston is the two largest salaries they’ve taken on – Anfernee Simons’ $27.7 million deal and Georges Niang’s $8.2 million contract – are expiring. The Celtics played a terrible hand reasonable well, but it’s still a loser.

What I’m Thinking

Not to give Nuggets ownership an excuse to save money, but it might make sense for the Nuggets to head into next season with an open roster spot.

The strong start to free agency has already provided David Adelman with more options than Michael Malone has had since 2023. Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic will once again give Denver one of the Association’s best starting lineups.

Bruce Brown, Julian Strawther and Jalen Pickett will compete for two spots in the second unit. Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson and Jonas Valanciunas complete what could be a 10-man rotation in the regular season. Anything from DaRon Holmes II, Hunter Tyson, Zeke Nnaji and the odd man out in the backcourt would just be an added bonus.

Keeping the roster spot open would provide Denver maximum flexibility heading into the season. If there’s a player Tenzer and Wallace can’t pass up, they’ve earned enough trust in short order to use one of the exceptions available to them, but keeping the roster spot open to start the season might be the smart play.

David Adelman adds two familiar faces to Denver Nuggets coaching staff

What They’re Saying

“I’m excited. I get an opportunity to compete with some of the league’s best. What more can I ask for?,” new Nuggets forward Cam Johnson told Andscape.

Additionally, Johnson told HoopsHype “I’m excited to compete for a championship. It’s a new beginning.”

Denver Nuggets trade Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson to Brooklyn Nets

What I’m Following

– The Nuggets officially announced Tamar Bates had joined the franchise on a two-way contract Tuesday afternoon. Bates took to X where he posted “THANK YOU to the entire organization! I’m overfilled with gratitude… Let’s work!”

– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took NBA money to new heights on Tuesday morning. The Thunder star agreed to a four-year extension worth $285 million. The $71.3 million salary will be the highest annual compensation in NBA history – for now.

– Former Nuggets guard Malik Beasley might be the next NBA player to face a lifetime ban. Beasley is under federal investigation for betting on NBA games, according to multiple reports. The investigation dates back to the 2023-24 season, when Beasley was with the Milwaukee Bucks. Beasley spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Nuggets before being traded to Minnesota.

– The Knicks appear closer to filling their head-coaching vacancy. Former Cavaliers and Kings coach Mike Brown is set to interview with the Knicks a second time.

– Jalen Williams is undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist after helping bring Oklahoma City its first championship. The Thunder expect him to be ready for the start of next season.