NBA Free Agency 2019: Winners, losers, and shockers

TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 29: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors look on during the game on November 29, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4 of 5

(Photo by Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images) /

Winner: The city of New York

Since the beginning of time, or about 2013, the two New York teams have been mostly toothless, straddling somewhere between destitute and “fun.” We live in the dawn of a new day.

Brooklyn was a smoldering pile of rubble, bereft of talent or draft cache. They took a progressive approach to rebuilding and turned everything around. Amazing what can happen when a franchise exudes competence and builds smartly for a handful of seasons. This summer, the Nets bagged Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and skyrocketed the team’s stock in the relevancy index.

Next year will be the Kyrie show while KD rehabs his Achilles, but if all goes well, they’ll form a lethal duo in 2020 and bring Brooklyn to new heights.

Their cross-borough rival had a slightly different opening to July. Many were quick to drag the Knicks for coming up empty on big name free agents. But they practiced prudence and patience with their signings. They didn’t reel in the big fish, but this isn’t the foolhardy spending spree of 2016.

The Knicks of yesteryear would have caved to pressure and thrown around exorbitant, long-term contracts to aging stars or almost-stars. No more. The new Knicks don’t come with delusions of grandeur, but their deals are short and the veterans will either aid in establishing a winning culture and/or bring in assets in future trades.

Home/NBA Free Agency