10 NBA teams that gained -- or lost -- the most value in offseason deals

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  • Neil PaineOct 2, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

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      Neil Paine writes astir sports utilizing information and analytics. Previously, helium was Sports Editor astatine FiveThirtyEight.

Parity has emerged arsenic a defining diagnostic of this NBA era.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder's breakthrough successful June, the league has crowned 7 antithetic champions successful arsenic galore years -- a streak unmatched successful NBA history. Of those seven, the Thunder's young halfway has arguably the champion accidental to parlay the triumph into a dynastic run, but that doesn't mean different teams haven't been moving each summertime to marque definite it was a one-off.

While less blockbuster and large fireworks meant this offseason was quieter than most, plentifulness of teams reshaped their rosters successful meaningful ways.

The Houston Rockets splurged connected Kevin Durant successful a swap with the Phoenix Suns, who slotted successful Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks via the aforesaid deal. The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks mislaid cardinal veterans and shuffled successful caller talent. The Orlando Magic stake connected Desmond Bane, portion of their emergence to No. 7 successful rubric likelihood astatine ESPN BET. The Los Angeles Clippers made immoderate absorbing moves. And the Portland Trail Blazers made headlines by reacquiring Damian Lillard, though fans volition person to hold a play for his return, with an wounded shelving him until 2026-27.

To size up each these wheelings and dealings, we projected however a player's summation (or absence) could displacement a team's standings by mounting a baseline of the player's expected show utilizing their established level of Estimated RAPTOR Wins Above Replacement (WAR), past identifying the 5 teams that gained -- and the 5 teams that mislaid -- the astir roster value.

We did not origin successful the worth of literal contracts and salaries, but we did set for rookies who could marque an contiguous interaction -- hello, Cooper Flagg -- and for newcomers with injuries, specified arsenic Lillard. We besides considered pending escaped agents arsenic departures. And finally, we noted however overmuch worth was mislaid to presumed season-ending injuries for players similar Tyrese Haliburton, though did not origin that into the calculations for teams that made either list.

So which teams bolstered their chances to contend? Which mislaid big? And which could regret a quiescent offseason? Let's locomotion done the biggest endowment transfers of the past fewer months -- and however they could signifier the play ahead.

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