NBA Free Agency 2024: 3 Winners, 1 Loser From Historic Day 1

Before getting to the 2024 NBA Free Agency winners and losers, be sure to check out BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from NBA regular season odds to early league MVP markets and everything in between.

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The last few days have been an exciting time to be a sports fan. Not only did the NHL’s free agency period kick off on Monday, but the NBA’s version of the free agent madness is also in full swing.

Teams spending millions of dollars in cash is the norm for NBA and this offseason is no exception. Since free agency officially opened on June 30, Spotrac has revealed that the 30 teams have already spent over $3.1 billion — $2.1 billion on new contracts and another $1 billion on extensions.

For comparison, last season’s total offseason spending totaled $5.6 billion, meaning we’re already beyond the halfway point.

It can be tough to keep track of all the money that was handed out, which is why Betting News is here to help make things digestible.

Here’s a look at the three biggest winners — and a loser — from the first full day of NBA free agency 2024.

NBA Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Winner: Philadelphia 76ers

Notable Players Added:

• Paul George (4 years, $212 million)
• Andre Drummond (2 years, $10 million)
• Kelly Oubre Jr. (2 years, $16.3 million)

With their championship window closing, the Philadelphia 76ers had no choice but to be one of the league’s more active teams this offseason.

They didn’t waste any time in free agency, bringing in Andre Drummond (8.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG) to back up Joel Embiid while also re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr. (15.4 PPG on .441/.311/.750) to a two-year contract. Drummond is still one of the NBA’s top rebounders while Oubre exceeded expectations in his first year with Philly, however, the franchise wasn’t done there.

The 76ers weren’t finished there, though. They also made the biggest splash in free agency thus far, signing Paul George to a four-year max contract worth $212 million. Even though he might not be an NBA MVP candidate anymore, George should look great alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey after averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.1% from the floor and 41.3% from deep with the LA Clippers last season.

Considering how the 76ers are now tied for the fourth-best NBA Championship odds on BetOnline, it’s hard to hate on what they’ve done so far.

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NBA Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Winner: Dallas Mavericks

Notable Players Added:

• Klay Thompson (via trade)
• Naji Marshall (3 years, $27 million)

After coming up short in the 2024 NBA Finals, it was back to the drawing board for the Dallas Mavericks. As great as they looked at times, their postseason series against the Boston Celtics highlighted that the Mavs need more than Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to win a championship.

Needing another scoring threat, Dallas went out and acquired veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors in a three-way deal that also involved the Charlotte Hornets. Two second-round selections were sent to the Warriors while Josh Green fifth-year guard Josh Green found his way to the Hornets after Thompson inked a three-year, $50 million to complete the sign-and-trade.

Is Thompson still playing at an All-Star level? No, but he’ll be fine playing alongside Doncic and Irving considering how he just averaged 17.9 PPG on .432/.387/.927 splits last season. Without the pressure he faced with the Warriors, he could thrived in Big D.

The Mavs also inked forward Naji Marshall to a three-year deal. Given Dallas’ need for wing depth, it was necessary to add the ex-Xavier product who just averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.9 threes on 38.7% showing while coming off the New Orleans Pelicans bench.

With their new additions combined with recent NBA Finals experience, the Mavericks could be one of the league’s biggest threats next year.

NBA Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Winner: San Antonio Spurs

Notable Players Added:

• Chris Paul (1 year, $11 million)

Outside of drafting Victor Wembanyama last year, the San Antonio Spurs have been out of the spotlight more often than not in the last few seasons. But while Wembanyama’s first season was fun and even led to an NBA Rookie of the Year win, Spurs fans are ready to see their team reach the next level.

That’s why San Antonio went out and signed veteran playmaker Chris Paul following his release from the Warriors. Nicknamed the “Point God” for his immaculate passing, the belief was that Paul would be the key to unlocking the best version of Wembanyama, especially due to the former’s crisp lob passing ability.

Paul isn’t what he once was, but that doesn’t mean he won’t move the needle in San Antonio. Even if he is numbers declined in a bench role with the Warriors last season, he still put up 12.4 assists per 100 possessions and it was only two years ago that he finished ninth in NBA MVP voting after leading the league with 10.8 APG.

Trey Jones was the only Spur who averaged more than 5.0 assists (6.2) last season, so adding a seasoned playmaker like Paul should give the lineup a much-needed boost. Time will tell if it’s enough of a difference to see the Spurs return to the postseason.

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NBA Free Agency 2024 Day 1 Loser: Golden State Warriors

Notable Players Added:

• De’Anthony Melton (1 year, $12.8 million)

There can’t be NBA free agency winners without some losers sprinkled in. When it comes to the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr’s squad easily falls into the latter category.

The Warriors were among last season’s biggest disappointments, so their fans were expecting to see some action this offseason. Instead, Golden State lost both Chris Paul and Klay Thompson with the only addition being De’Anthony Melton. Although Melton is a solid secondary guard who just averaged 11.1 PTS/3.7 REB/3.0 AST with .386/.360/.835 splits last season, he doesn’t exactly make the Dubs any closer to another championship.

Yes, Paul and Thompson are older and declining, but they were still two of the team’s top six scorers, and losing them without any legitimate replacements is hard to get behind. The situation is made even worse by Golden State only having two second-round picks to show for the duo’s departure.

The Warriors are still tied for the 11th-best 2025 NBA Championship odds on BetOnline, but don’t let that fool you. Outside of Stephen Curry (26.4 PPG) and Jonathan Kuminga (16.1 PPG), Andrew Wiggins is the only returning player who averaged double-digit points (13.2) last season. Even with Melton’s addition, you can’t look at Golden State’s current roster and think it can compete for a title.

Barring any major deals, you can argue that the Warriors are already the biggest losers of the entire offseason.

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NBA Championship 2025 Odds Following Day 1 of Free Agency

All NBA Championship odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of 3:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 2. 

• Boston Celtics (+300)
• Oklahoma City Thunder (+650)
• Dallas Mavericks (+700)
• Philadelphia 76ers (+800)
• Denver Nuggets (+800)
• New York Knicks (+900)
• Minnesota Timberwolves (+1000)
• Milwaukee Bucks (+1400)
• Los Angeles Lakers (+2500)
• New Orleans Pelicans (+3300)
• Golden State Warriors (+4000)
• Memphis Grizzlies (+4000)
• Phoenix Suns (+4000)
• Miami Heat (+4000)
• Cleveland Cavaliers (+5000)
• Indiana Pacers (+5000)
• Orlando Magic (+5000)
• LA Clippers (+5500)
• Sacramento Kings (+6600)
• Houston Rockets (+10000)
• San Antonio Spurs (+12500)
• Atlanta Hawks (+25000)
• Chicago Bulls (+75000)
• Utah Jazz (+100000)
• Brooklyn Nets (+100000)
• Charlotte Hornets (+100000)
• Detroit Pistons (+100000)
• Portland Trail Blazers (+100000)
• Toronto Raptors (+100000)
• Washington Wizards (+100000)

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