The off season, and more specifically the period of free agency, is a very important time for all teams. During that time, teams have to convince their free agents to stay, or make deals with other teams to trade players. Some teams have better luck, or just have more to offer to potential players, and therefore do a better job in composing a team for the next season.

Boston Celtics

They didn’t do a lot in the off season, but that probably was the right thing for them to do. They kept their team intact, and therefore this young team will have the chance to grow in the next season and even be a contender in the playoffs once again. Plus, Gordon Hayward will have the chance to play again after his horrifying injury in his first game for the Celtics. It will be interesting to see how they’ll fit him into the rotation, and even the starting five.

Toronto Raptors

This is a difficult one, as they had to give up DeMar DeRozan to acquire Kawhi Leonard, even after they promised him he wouldn’t be traded. But, unfortunately for DeMar, this was absolutely the best move the Raptors could make, as they finally can be playoff contenders after this move. The Raptors were already quite good the last few seasons, but they didn’t have enough left in the tank during the postseason and therefore didn’t really have the chance to achieve something. This might be their turnaround moment to finally perform in the postseason and maybe even make it to the Conference Finals.

Los Angeles Lakers

Have they actually won it all by getting LeBron to Los Angeles? Well, only time can tell us that, but the Lakers had no choice but to acquire a star to get the Lakers to be a decent team again. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they didn’t get the chance to form a super team in LA, as they didn’t acquire either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard. They still have a decent team with the talented core in Kuzma, Hart and Ball, complemented by some great veterans. And… LeBron has led worse teams to the Finals.

Golden State Warriors

Similar to the Celtics, the Golden State Warriors didn’t really have to do anything to ‘win’ free agency, as they already had a super team. The only thing they were missing was a big man who could really make a difference, as they hadn’t found that in either Zaza Pachulia and Javale McGee. Besides that, the center position was the only one where the Warriors didn’t have an All-Star player yet (though Zaza came close to being voted one once). Golden State did lose McGee to LeBron’s Lakers, but they acquired DeMarcus Cousins to replace him. Which team still has a chance to beat this super team?

Loser: San Antonio Spurs

Well, it was a long time coming, but this off season marked the definite end of the dominance of the San Antonio Spurs. They lost Tony Parker, who was already their back-up guard but still an important part of the team, to the Charlotte Hornets of all teams. Parker, who had played his entire career for the Spurs, won championships, thought it was time to leave the team. That probably already was a hard blow for them. Besides that, they had to trade Kawhi Leonard, as he made clear that he really wasn’t going to play for the Spurs anymore. Of course, they got DeMar DeRozan in return, but that’s not the same. Luckily, they still have the veterans LaMarcus Aldrigde and Pau Gasol on their team, and some good talented young players, but it’s not clear whether they’ll be a competitor this year.