Who Are The 5 Clear Winners of the NBA Offseason?

With that criteria in mind, five teams clearly met those, and their fans are certainly heading into the 2025-26 season feeling quite optimistic.

In alphabetical order, those teams are:

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks certainly saw plenty of departures. The full list: Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, Larry Nance Jr., Terance Mann, Georges Niang and David Roddy. In exchange, Atlanta brought in plenty of upside via trade and free agency.

Highlighting a busy summer includes trading for former Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game last year. The Hawks only shipped out Mann, Niang, the No. 22 pick and a second-rounder in the deal. While he will earn over $30 million in 2025-26, his deal expires after this upcoming season.

In free agency, Atlanta also brought in more perimeter talent, acquiring Nickeil Alexander-Walker through a sign-and-trade with Minnesota and signing Luke Kennard to a one-year deal. Alexander-Walker was arguably the best free agent on the market this cycle. He brings the ideal three-and-D skill set every team desires, and for just the full midlevel exception. Kennard brings some much-needed shooting and guard depth.

Keep in mind, Atlanta already had high-profile players prior to these additions. There’s still a core of Trae Young, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.

Suddenly, especially in a weakened East, Atlanta boasts a chance to make some noise next year.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland makes the cut for an underrated decision: staying pat.

After a shocking exit at the hands of Indiana during the playoffs, the Cavs could’ve been pressured to make a bigger splash and gut the current core.

Instead, Cleveland filled around the margins, but still brought in some much-needed different looks. The big trade was shipping out Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball, taking a gamble on the former Chicago Bulls guard. Ball brings better size, three-point shooting potential and defensive upside. He was also a good insurance bet for Cleveland at backup point guard, considering Ty Jerome’s departure.

Larry Nance Jr. also returns to Cleveland, giving the team more depth at center.

The moves aren’t flashy, but they do fill in critical gaps without sacrificing the current core or long-term future.

Denver Nuggets

Denver also profiles as another “puncher’s chance to win” team that is capitalizing on its current championship window.

In this case, the Nuggets sacrificed a prime asset to swap Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson, forking over their unprotected 2023 first-round pick.

Yet, now is the time to go all-in with three-time MVP Nikola Jokić producing the way he is right now. Furthermore, Johnson brings the three-point shooting and two-way value Porter Jr. did, but with way more consistency.

Outside of upgrading at small forward, Denver’s other issue entering the offseason was having a way-too-unreliable bench. The solution there: signing old friend Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. to one-year deals and trading for Jonas Valančiūnas.

Denver now possesses players who can eat up minutes during the regular season. During the playoffs, those same veteran role players can either perform and stay in the lineup or be benched for the younger options on the team. There’s just more versatility and options on the 2025-26 Nuggets compared to the 2024-25 team.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are arguably the biggest winners of the offseason, mainly by getting the biggest fish in the sea.

Thanks to a seven-team trade, Kevin Durant is now a Houston Rocket. Durant brings the scoring punch Houston desperately needed this past postseason. Only having to give up the No. 10 pick, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and second-round picks is a steal, even at Durant’s age and with his durability concerns. Again, it’s a high-upside move with little downside risk, even if Green unleashes his potential (which he hasn’t to date).

To replace the departures on the perimeter, Houston also signed wing Dorian Finney-Smith to play the four or five. The Rockets also double down on their big-man play by adding old friend Clint Capela. And of course, retention is important. Houston inked new deals with Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate and Jeff Green. Combined, those moves helped Houston make all these other additions without much issue.

If everything works out, Houston has a clear case to be the second-best contender in the Western Conference behind Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers remain the most big-name “if everything works out, we can make the NBA Finals” team. L.A. has been in that situation for such a long time at this point.

All that said, the Clips improved this summer and didn’t have to give up much to do so.

Recently, Bradley Beal signed a deal with L.A. to help replace the outgoing Norman Powell. The Clippers shipped out Powell to bring in forward John Collins and also signed Brook Lopez.

In short, L.A. retains its core, adds a different look at center who can space the floor, brings in a scoring punch in Beal, who can do more with the ball in his hands, and adds a power forward that the Clippers just never had on their team last year.

Of course, the Clippers’ outlook all comes down to the health and performance of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But the team certainly did enough to add depth and more pieces in hopes of making a push next year.