2024 NBA Free Agency Winners and Losers

per Zak Hanshew, Rotomundo

The NBA free agency period kicked off at 6pm ET on Sunday with…much less than a bang. The first hour of free agency saw James Harden return to the Clippers on a two-year deal worth $70 million. Big men Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta signed new deals to return to the champion Celtics, and Kevin Love returned to Miami. Their respective teams released Omer Yurtseven and Chris Paul, and news broke that Klay Thompson and Nic Batum would not return with the Warriors and 76ers, respectively.

The night finally heated up when Andre Drummond joined the Sixers on a two-year deal to kick off the second hour of free agent fun. From then on, impactful businesses emerged more consistently. The first night of free agency may not have offered the most convincing kickoff we’ve witnessed in recent years, but there were still a plethora of moves with significant ramifications for fantasy basketball.

This article will be updated frequently as new agreements and negotiations are announced.

Two major deals were announced before the official start of free agency, and the impacts of the Mikal Bridges trade and the Dejounte Murray deal can be seen here:

Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges

Dejounte Murray traded to Pelicans

James Harden returns to Clippers on 2-year, $70 million deal

Winners: James Harden

Harden had a productive first season with the Clippers, finishing with averages of 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.6 triples. Most of those numbers were declines from last season’s production, especially his points, but Harden still finished as one of the top third-rounders in fantasy basketball. His ability to fill the stat sheet should keep him in the third round for 2024-25, and he could see an increase in production if Paul George leaves as a free agent. He’s a winner with this deal, although his return to the team won’t have a ripple effect on his Clippers teammates from a fantasy perspective.

Andre Drummond signs two-year, more than $10 million contract with 76ers

Winners: André Drummond
Philly struggled at the center position while Joel Embiid was injured last season, while Paul Reed and Mo Bamba were unimpressed in his place. Drummond should replace Embiid much more reliably than Reed or Bamba, and he brings a strong backup big man presence. The veteran center averaged 14.1 points, 17.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks in 10 games with Chicago last season. Drummond is a winner here because the guy ahead of him in Chicago – Nikola Vucevic – doesn’t get hurt as often as Embiid. The show at the reserve center in Philadelphia should be a boon for Drummond and his eager fantasy managers.

Losers: Paul Reed, Mo Bamba
Reed is under contract for at least two more seasons, but Bamba is ready to hit free agency. Drummond’s arrival could signal the end of Bamba’s time in Philadelphia. Neither big man will have much fantasy appeal with Drummond on the roster.

Neutral: Joel Embiid
Drummond won’t steal significant minutes from Embiid when the 2022-23 MVP is healthy, so Embiid’s fantasy stock remains unchanged with this signing.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joins Magic on 3-year, $66 million deal

Winners: Christian Braun
KCP’s departure opens the clue to the Braun escape we’ve all been waiting for. Braun showed a lot of promise as a rookie, logging significant rotation minutes for the champion Nuggets. After the team lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency last summer, Braun’s role was expected to expand significantly. His minutes increased only slightly and he wasn’t on the radar in 12-team leagues. An early opportunity could mean more than 30 minutes a night for the Kansas product, making him an intriguing late-round option in the 2024-25 fantasy drafts.

Losers: Gary Harris, Cole Anthony
Orlando’s backup guards will lose much of their deep league shine with KCP in the mix. Caldwell-Pope is a phenomenal defender and three-point shooter who should see plenty of minutes as a full-time starter for his new team.

Neutral: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
KCP is unlikely to gain momentum or lose fantasy value in Orlando. Over the past three seasons (one in Washington, two in Denver), Caldwell-Pope has finished as a top-115 player per game and a top-70 player overall. He’s available and reliable, and fantasy managers should expect more of the same in 2024-25.

Kevin Porter Jr. signs 2-year contract with Clippers

Winners: Kevin Porter Jr.
Russell Westbrook will likely play for a different team in 2024-25, meaning KPJ could have an important role in the backcourt alongside James Harden. He averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.4 triples in 59 games in 2022-23, and did not play last season after Houston released him due to to a domestic incident shortly before the start of the season. KPJ’s role in Los Angeles won’t be as large as it was in Houston, so don’t expect 19/5/5 averages.

Jonas Valanciunas signs three-year, $30 million contract with Wizards

Winners: Yves Missi
New Orleans lost Larry Nance Jr. to the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade, so the Pelicans may be forced to give rookie center Yves Missi big minutes right away. The team’s center depth is woefully shallow, so he could be a starter on opening day of the 2024-25 campaign. Missi is a prototypical running center, which means he can contribute sooner than other prospects in this class. The 7-foot 20-year-old played in 34 games during his freshman season at Baylor and averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 61.4% from the floor in 23 minutes per game . Missi is the big winner in this deal.

Losers: Jonas Valanciunas, Alex Sarr, Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley III
It’s a somewhat surprising move for both sides, as Valanciunas opts to sign with a rebuilding team, and Washington adds another center to a frontcourt that includes Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III and just drafted Alex Sarr with the second draft pick. . Valanciunas’ minutes were reduced in his final season with New Orleans, and his production suffered because of it. It’s unclear what kind of role he will have in Washington, but all of the players mentioned above will likely have fantasy value in this crowded rotation.

Chris Paul signs 1-year, $11 million contract with Spurs

Winners: Chris Paul, Brandin Podziemski
According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, “Paul had a great conversation with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and enjoyed the culture and the opportunity to help elevate Victor Wembanyama’s game. CP is eager and motivated to show that he is still an elite guard in this league.” Paul had a disappointing 2023-24 season with Golden State, mostly coming off the bench behind Stephen Curry with lackluster fantasy results. He should compete for the starting PG spot in San Antonio, but even if he comes off the bench again, he should see more playing time than he did with the Warriors.

With Paul and Klay Thompson out, Podz should see more opportunities in Golden State’s backcourt. He showed a lot of promise in his first year, making an immediate impact when asked to earn extra minutes. Podziemski could be a full-time starter in the Warriors’ backcourt alongside Steph Curry in 2024-25, making him worthy of a late selection in next season’s fantasy drafts.

Losers: Tre Jones
The Spurs drafted guard Stephon Castle in the lottery and added Paul as a free agent, meaning Jones could be an odd man out in San Antonio’s backcourt rotation. Even if Jones remains in San Antonio next season, his role will certainly be reduced, making him an unattractive fantasy option.

Mason Plumlee signs 1-year contract with Suns

Winners: Daniel Theis
He will be the main backup to Ivica Zubac, which could make him attractive as a bench option in deep leagues.

Losers: Mason Plumlee, Bol Bol, Thaddeus Young
All three players will cannibalize each other’s minutes and production, and none of them will have much fantasy value behind starter Jusuf Nurkic.

Naji Marshall signs 3-year, $27 million contract with Mavericks

Winners: Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Naji Marshall
Jones and Murphy III (respectable options in 12-team leagues in their own right) should get more playing time with Marshall out of the lineup. Marshall – who averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.9 triples in 19.0 minutes per game last season – should see a substantial increase in playing time playing time with Dallas, and he could even become a full-time starter now that Derrick Jones Jr. has signed with the Clippers in free agency. And speaking of Jones Jr…

Derrick Jones Jr. signs 3-year, $30 million contract with Clippers

Winners: Naji Marshall
As mentioned above, Marshall is a big winner and has a chance to start in Dallas next season in place of DJJ.

Losers: Amir Coffey, Norman Powell
Neither Coffey nor Powell were a particularly productive fantasy option last season, and that won’t change in 2024-25, even in Paul George’s absence. should absorb most of the vacant PG minutes, leaving Coffey and Powell off the fantasy radar in 12-team leagues.

Neutral: Derrick Jones Jr.
Playing with the Clippers will not affect Jones Jr.’s fantasy value. He should see similar playing time and play a similar role as a 3-and-D specialist.

Paul George signs four-year, $212 million contract with 76ers

Winners: Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr.
George’s departure from Los Angeles means that newly signed Derrick Jones Jr. is expected to get plenty of minutes, and Terance Mann could see more opportunities as a scorer and playmaker.

Losers: Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr.
George’s arrival will likely mean fewer touches for Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre (who just re-signed with Philadelphia on a two-year deal). Maxey broke out a season ago with the best performance of his career, but his numbers have increased with Joel Embiid sidelined for most of the campaign and a shallow roster around him. Maxey still deserves a third-round pick, but is outside of the first- or second-round range. Oubre Jr. was a fringe option in 12-team leagues and is less attractive in 2024-25 with George on the roster.

Neutral: Paul George
The next big domino of free agency has fallen, as the two-way star heads East to form a new “Big 3” with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. George’s biggest concern as a Clipper was availability, but he played in 74 games last season and averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.3 triples. As long as he can stay healthy, he should be able to replicate the success he had in Los Angeles a season ago when he played with the “Big 3” of himself, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.

Kelly Oubre Jr. returns to 76ers on 2-year, $16.3 million contract

Losers: Kelly Oubre Jr.

As mentioned above, Oubre Jr. has less fantasy appeal for 2024-25 with Paul George on the roster. There are no fantasy winners here.