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The first day of NBA free agency is always exciting, and of course, people love to name early winners and losers as soon as the day is over. There are two teams in particular that have caught the eyes of the rest of the league, and they've been given their props, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
“When I talk to people around the league, they say the Hawks and the Rockets are ‘cooking,'” Charania said on ESPN.
“You think about it from Atlanta's perspective, going out to get Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a big-tie two-way type of player, he had a big-time playoff run,” Charania continued. “Then you go get Luke Kennard, he's been one of the best shooters in the NBA. Atlanta got Kristaps Porzingis as well.
Shams Charania: "When I talk to people around the league, they say the Hawks and the Rockets are 'cooking.'" pic.twitter.com/NAt9TAw6o8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 1, 2025
“Houston has done even more business than Atlanta overall. We know about the Kevin Durant trade, but they go and get Clint Capela at center, and then Dorian Finney-Smith, and he was the most interesting free agent out there.”
Both the Hawks and Rockets were aggressive to start out free agency, but they also made moves prior to help improve their team. It would be interesting to see if they plan on making more moves as the free agency period continues.
Hawks, Rockets working hard in free agency
Not only does Charania think that the Hawks did their big one in free agency, but ESPN's Tim Bontemps also thinks the Hawks have positioned themselves to be atop the Eastern Conference.
“The Hawks have gotten a bunch of guys that want to be there, who have shooting and perimeter defense,” Bontemps said on Get Up. “This is a team I think is now a top 4 in the East, better than the Celtics… better than the Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta is on the rise in the East.”
With the current landscape of the Eastern Conference, there's a good chance that the Hawks could be one of the top teams in the East if they can stay healthy.
For the Rockets, they were one of the top teams in the Western Conference last season, and things shouldn't change with Durant, Finney-Smith, and Capela on the team. They have proven veterans on their team, and one of the best scorers the NBA has ever seen in Durant. In a crowded conference, the Rockets have what it takes to go up against some of the best.
