NBA Free Agency 2012: Winners and Losers so Far

This offseason has been just as crazy and drama-packed as last year's post-lockout frenzy.

Teams and players have made questionable moves.

Some teams have come out looking stronger than ever, while others have fizzled and may fall behind this season.

Here's a look at who's ahead and who's behind so far in free agency.

Miami Heat: Winners

After getting the "Big Three" together in 2010, the plan was to surround them with cheap, veteran talent that would make do for a championship run.

Back then, no one anticipated a player of Ray Allen's caliber to join for such a small amount of money.

As deplorable as the move may be—considering the Celtics were offering much more combined with a no-trade clause—the Heat just became better.

Last season's playoff run was a lengthy one for the Heat, and they were fortunate that Miller (despite suffering a few injuries) and Battier got it going in certain games in the finals.

Ray Allen, if healthy, brings consistent production that they can count on. The Heat just became an even bigger player in the East.

Houston Rockets: Losers

One can argue the Rockets have made the moves they've made because they're gearing their efforts towards obtaining a superstar, like Dwight Howard.

However, if they aren't able to land him in a trade, their effort will be all for naught.

The plus side is that the Rockets may focus on rebuilding at that point, instead of attempting to rebuild while remaining competitive. This is extremely difficult to do.

If their ultimate goal was to score a big name in a deal by trading away assets and letting valuable players walk, then it's a failure if it doesn't get accomplished.

Boston Celtics: Winners

The loss of Ray Allen will hurt, but so far they've made decent attempts to replace his production.

Jason Terry is a decent pick up, and there is the possibility of Courtney Lee going to the Celtics. These are solid moves to make for the loss of a player like Allen.

Those players, coupled with the draft the Celtics had, should keep them above the water and fighting hard to contend.

While teams around them are getting better, they've done a great job of keeping the team in a great spot to contend in the East.

Having Garnett back doesn't hurt either.

Dallas Mavericks: Losers

The offseason has not gone as planned for Dallas.

After clearing room to make a run at Deron Williams, the Mavericks were spurned by him and are left with nothing. Their presumed back-up plans (Nash and Kidd) didn't work out either.

Losing out on Williams definitely plays a major factor in their effort to bring Howard to Dallas.

They were poised to make major strides in the 2012 offseason to stay competitive, and now they're potentially looking at lottery status for next year's draft.

The good thing is that the Mavericks have the extra money to spend in free agency for next year. But for this year, they've fallen short so far.

Los Angeles Lakers: Winners

After being mentioned increasingly over the last couple weeks in Dwight Howard rumors, the Suns made a huge splash by organizing a sign-and-trade for Steve Nash.

They filled the need at a position they lacked depth at with a two-time MVP. Granted, though Nash is at the very tail-end of his career, he has still performed at a very high level, and he instantly makes the Lakers one of the favorites for the championship.

The Lakers deserve credit, but they should also be thankful to Ramon Sessions for opting out of the last year on his deal.

Brooklyn Nets: Winners

New stadium, new look, and a return of their crown jewel, Deron Williams.

So far so good for the Nets. Everything is going as planned.

After swinging a deal to take Joe Johnson off Atlanta's hands and bringing Gerald Wallace back, they look poised to be competitive again.

They're not done, either.

While it's not exactly a "free agency move," a trade for Dwight Howard would catapult them into contender-status in the East.