We have experienced a great first night of the 2025 NBA free agency with a multitude of movements, many of them unexpected. In Spanish basketball, it is worth highlighting the great contract that Santi Aldama (completely deserved) has signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. In general terms, the Houston Rockets stand out as the most active and aggressive team that seems to have strengthened the most, while the Los Angeles Lakers have been by far the most disappointing: we will see how Rob Pelinka reacts to what has happened.

WINNERS

Houston Rockets

It is clear that the big winner of the first night of free agency is the Texan team. After acquiring Kevin Durant in exchange for Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, they continued to structure the team by giving KD what no one has given him in recent years: muscle and defense. They re-signed Jabari Smith and key players like Jeff Green, Aaron Holiday, and Jae'Sean Tate. Then they managed to snatch Donian Finney-Smith from the Lakers for a relatively low price (53 million and 4 years) and strengthened their interior gameplay with Clint Capela (21.5 million and 3 years).

Denver Nuggets

They may not have had the best market in history, but after two seasons with a team in disarray going nowhere due to injuries, they have made a couple of moves that could breathe new life into Nikola Jokic and company, aiming to compete for a second ring after losing to the champions in the seventh game last season.

They acquired Cam Johnson in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. Both averaged over 18 points last season, but it's known that the former Nets player is a much better defensive player. Furthermore, Bruce Brown returns, a key player from a couple of years ago. They will need more, but the current acquisitions already enhance last year's roster, meeting the expectations of free agency.

Memphis Grizzlies

The other team that significantly revamped its roster in this free agency was the Memphis Grizzlies. On one hand, they re-signed Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama, and on the other hand, they added pieces to their squad to try a different approach after several years with great regular seasons but playoff disappointments: stealing Ty Jerome from the Cavs and bringing in Cole Anthony in exchange for Desmond Bane, who seemed quite solid. Their success will depend on Ja Morant and what happens with him, whether in performance or potential trades, but their work last night was fantastic.

LOSERS

Los Angeles Lakers

The big losers of the initial night of free agency were undoubtedly the Los Angeles Lakers. They couldn't keep Dorian Finney-Smith, and the only move they made was signing a young prospect, Jake LaRavia. Earlier, LeBron James accepted his player option for over 50 years with a caveat. The current roster is unlikely to achieve anything next year. Rob Pelinka has a lot of work ahead.

Milwaukee Bucks

The other significant loser of the night was the Milwaukee Bucks. After the season, there were speculations about trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, then it was said they would try to build another winning team around him, but the early moves in free agency don't seem to align with that.

They retained Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent, and Taurean Prince but bid farewell to Brook Lopez, who joins the Clippers. They might have some cap space left after his departure, although not much. Starting from scratch in Milwaukee seems almost inevitable rather than striving for something else.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ganadores y perdedores del inicio de la agencia libre NBA 2025: Rockets vs. Lakers