NBA Free Agency 2012: The 5 Biggest Winners and 5 Biggest Losers

The 2012 NBA summer of free agency isn't over, but it's clear which teams are the biggest winners and the biggest losers.

Teams like the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks took major steps back with their offseason acquisitions, while teams like the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns made major upgrades to their rosters that will help them compete in the 2012-13 season.

The five biggest winners and five biggest losers of the 2012 offseason await.

Loser: Dallas Mavericks

Biggest Mistake: Failing to sign Deron Williams or Dwight Howard.

During the 2011-12 season, the Dallas Mavericks were one of the oldest teams in the NBA, with most of their foundational talent well into their mid to late 30s.

Losing Jason Terry wasn't the deal-breaker here. Failing to land Deron Williams and Dwight Howard is what makes the Mavericks one of the big losers of the 2012 offseason.

The Mavs made up for an abysmal offseason by trading for Darren Collison and signing O.J. Mayo, as it makes them younger and more athletic in the backcourt. But let's be honest here: Collison and Mayo aren't going to come in and turn the Mavs into a legitimate title contender in the next two to three years.

They need to find their future franchise player, and they were unable to do that this offseason. The Mavs have gone from being the 2011 NBA champions to being a team that is going to struggle in a powerful Western Conference, and that's enough to be considered one of this offseason's biggest losers.

Loser: L.A. Clippers

Biggest Mistake: Replacing inefficient players with inefficient players.

The L.A. Clippers are teetering on the brink of being a winner of this offseason, but based on the talent they've acquired, I just can't push them over the edge.

Signing Jamal Crawford seems like a good move, but he's not really an upgrade over the player that he will be replacing—Mo Williams. In all honesty, he's a less efficient and somewhat more out-of-control player than Williams, and if he can't become more efficient, he will hold the Clippers back.

Trading for Lamar Odom makes sense in theory, but in reality there's no guarantee that Odom will be more like the player he was with the Lakers and less like the 12th man he was this past season with the Mavericks.

While this isn't a result of free agency, seeing Blake Griffin go down with a knee injury while playing for Team USA is a big punch in the gut for the Clippers, as Griffin is becoming more and more injury-prone with every passing day.

Time will tell if the Clippers' offseason is better than it looks, but the reality is that the Clippers are heading into the 2012-13 season with more questions than answers, and that's not a good place to be.

Loser: New York Knicks

Biggest Mistake: Choosing age and money over youth and production.

The New York Knicks managed to get worse this offseason. Signing 39-year-old Jason Kidd to a three-year, $9 million contract is a major step in the wrong direction, and that's just the tip of the iceberg for the Knicks and their terrible offseason.

In addition to getting older at the point, the Knicks managed to let one of the most profitable players in the NBA, Jeremy Lin, go to another team, and they only have themselves to blame for that.

Lin's replacement, Raymond Felton, spent most of last year trying to prove that he could get himself back in NBA shape and ready to compete at even an average level.

As if things couldn't get worse, the Knicks also negotiated a sign-and-trade deal for Marcus Camby, who's 38 years old and declining in his on-court production.

Here's the most shocking part of the Knicks' offseason: It's not that they didn't have ample opportunity to improve and acquire legitimate All-Star talent. The Knicks could've been one of the best teams heading into the 2012-13 season, but instead they took a major step backwards and became a team that will struggle to even make the playoffs next year.

Loser: Houston Rockets

Biggest Mistake: Throwing themselves into a rebuilding process by pursuing Dwight Howard at all costs. 

The Houston Rockets thrust themselves into the rebuilding process, and that's a massive step back after being on the verge of a playoff appearance this past season.

Here's a list of all the players the Rockets lost this offseason: Chase Budinger, Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry, Samuel Dalembert, Courtney Lee and Goran Dragic.

While they managed to sign Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, there is no guarantee that those players are going to be better than average, and that's a major risk for the Rockets. They failed in their attempt to land Pau Gasol and/or Dwight Howard, and while they do have some exciting young talent, there's no making up for the established talent they lost.

The Rockets could be feeling the effects of this past offseason for the next three to five years, and that's at the foundation of why they are one of the big losers of the 2012 offseason. Let's hope that Kevin McHale knows what he's doing and can get the Rockets to play better than they actually are.

Loser: Philadelphia 76ers

Biggest Mistake: Failing to add frontcourt, paint production and toughness.

The Philadelphia 76ers didn't make terrible moves this offseason, but of all the teams who made acquisitions, they definitely aren't one of the winners.

After losing Lou Williams, the 76ers decided to sign Nick Young, who is a less efficient and more turnover-prone version of Williams. Young could be a productive shooting guard, but that's only going to happen if he learns how to take high-percentage shots.

The 76ers also decided to amnesty Elton Brand, and while that in and of itself wasn't a bad decision, replacing him in the frontcourt with Kwame Brown was an absolutely terrible move, and it is at the foundation of why they are one of the big losers of the offseason.

Re-signing Spencer Hawes was a solid move for the 76ers, but only if they are interested in remaining an average team in the East. The 76ers need some size and intensity in their frontcourt, and they didn't get that by re-signing Hawes.

The 76ers didn't improve this offseason; they actually took a step backwards. While Doug Collins will make the talent work for him, it's going to be a season-long challenge to stay competitive with the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Hanging in Limbo: Miami Heat

Biggest Question: Can Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis accept bench roles?

While a lot of experts think the Miami Heat are the big winners of this past offseason, in all reality the Heat have some big questions to answer heading into the 2012-13 season.

There are some extremely high expectations for Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis and how they will fit into the Heat's rotation, and in all honesty, those expectations of making the Heat nearly unbeatable might be unrealistic.

The Heat had a productive and efficient bench rotation this past season. Bringing in two players who were starters last year and expecting them to be OK with limited minutes coming off the bench could end up throwing a wrench into the Heat's otherwise stable second-unit rotation.

If the Heat fail to compete for the 2013 NBA title, the blame will certainly fall on this past offseason and the acquisitions they made. The Heat went against the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" concept, and that could be a problem heading into the upcoming season.

Hanging in Limbo: Chicago Bulls

Biggest Question: Does signing a veteran point guard like Kirk Hinrich buy enough time for the Bulls until Derrick Rose returns?

The Chicago Bulls have quietly put together a very positive offseason, especially when you consider the needs that exist on their roster.

In all honesty, losing Omer Asik can be framed as a positive for the Bulls, as it will allow Taj Gibson to see more court time, which will give him the chance he needs to show how productive of a player he can truly be.

Signing Kirk Hinrich was a very wise move for the Bulls, as it brought back a player who understands the Bulls' system and adds some toughness and intensity to an otherwise underwhelming backcourt.

However, the best move the Bulls made was signing Marco Belinelli, as reported by the Associated Press, who will help bolster a Bulls backcourt that was lacking depth after losing Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson and Kyle Korver.

Once Derrick Rose returns to the court, which now looks like it might not be until March, the Bulls will return to dominating the talent in the NBA, and that's because they put together a quietly successful offseason.

Winner: L.A. Lakers

Best Move: Working out a sign-and-trade for Steve Nash to give Kobe Bryant the talent he's always lacked at the point.

You didn't think you'd see a biggest winners and losers list without finding the L.A. Lakers in the winners list, right?

Landing Nash is by far the biggest move of the 2012 offseason, and it's going to transform the Lakers into a more productive and, most importantly, more efficient team.

There will be some transition time until the Lakers are able to figure out how to best utilize all the talent on their roster, but once they do, they will be the most dangerous team in the NBA—yes, even more dangerous than the Miami Heat.

Thanks to the Lakers' stellar offseason move, NBA fans might finally be able to see the Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James NBA Finals we've always dreamed of.

Winner: Phoenix Suns

Best Move: Finding Steve Nash's replacement in Goran Dragic.

The Phoenix Suns lost the face of their franchise by agreeing to a sign-and-trade of Steve Nash. However, they followed up that up by bringing in franchise-caliber talent that certainly makes them a better team heading into the 2012-13 season.

Signing Goran Dragic, Michael Beasley and Luis Scola makes the Suns a much better team than they were last season. While Dragic isn't on Nash's level, he's capable of being as good as Nash with the right coaching and mentoring.

Beasley and Scola are major upgrades over the talent currently on their roster at the small and power forward positions, respectively, and Beasley's athleticism will be at the foundation why the Suns are going to compete for a playoff spot next season.

Beasley said that he's going to be an All-Star next season, and that's not too much of a stretch when you look at how he can fit into the athletic roster rotation the Suns have.

Dragic, Beasley, Scola and Marcin Gortat aren't necessarily a "big three" or "big four," but they are a very impressive starting combination.

Winner: Minnesota Timberwolves

Best Move: Taking a risk with an extremely high reward by pursuing Brandon Roy. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made all the right moves that will help them become a legitimate playoff contender in a powerful Western Conference.

The best move the Timberwolves made, which isn't official yet, is the reported two-year, $10.4 million offer the T-Wolves and Brandon Roy have agreed on.

Sure, Roy didn't play last year, and he has degenerative knees. But after undergoing the same knee procedure that Kobe Bryant underwent, as reported by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, it's clear that Roy has the potential to return to his All-Star form.

An undervalued signing that will pay dividends for the Timberwolves is the one-year, $2 million deal they agreed to with Greg Stiemsma, who will be able to add some much-needed defensive intensity to the T-Wolves frontcourt.

The T-Wolves have put together a solid offseason in which they've filled the biggest needs on their roster. Don't be surprised when they are a sixth or seventh seed in the Western Conference come playoff time next season.

Winner: Brooklyn Nets

Best Move: Deciding to give up on pursuing Dwight Howard. 

The Brooklyn Nets had the second-best offseason of any NBA team, and they did so by forming the "core four" that consists of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez.

While the core four has a beautiful ring to it, I argue that the Nets actually have a big five, because they managed to bring back Kris Humphries to fill out their starting rotation.

The starting lineup of Williams, Johnson, Wallace, Humphries and Lopez is easily one of the best starting fives in the NBA, and that's at the foundation of why the 2012 offseason has been so successful for the Nets.

The Nets have transitioned from being a bottom feeder in the NBA to being a legitimate playoff, if not title, contender, and that's all because of the hard work they put in this offseason.

Failing to land Dwight Howard ended up working out best for the Nets, and that goes to show just how dominant of a roster they've acquired.

Winner: Boston Celtics

Best Move: Working out a sign-and-trade for Courtney Lee.

The Boston Celtics are the big winners of the 2012 offseason, and that's extremely impressive when you consider the massive questions they had surrounding their roster entering this summer.

Re-signing Kevin Garnett to a three-year, $34 million deal is certainly a bit too much, but it ensures they have a veteran, All-Star player in their frontcourt for the next few years, and with young players like Fab Melo and Jared Sullinger on the roster, that will pay dividends.

Re-signing Brandon Bass was also a great move, but the best moves the Celtics made were signing Jason Terry to a three-year deal and working out a sign-and-trade with the Houston Rockets that ended with Courtney Lee becoming the newest member of the Celtics.

The Celtics now have serious backcourt depth with Rajon Rondo, Courtney Lee, Jason Terry and Avery Bradley, and that foundational talent will be at the core of their success next season.

The Celtics are the big winners of the 2012 offseason, and they achieved that honor by assessing their biggest needs and making the best moves possible for their immediate future.