Absolutely reliable! The NBA selected the Rockets, the biggest winner of this offseason, the biggest loser of the Lakers

As the free market trading in this year's NBA new division continues, NBA experts have also selected the biggest winner and biggest loser this year's offseason

The biggest winner: Houston Rockets

No matter what the follow-up action is, Houston will become the offseason winner, based on Kevin Durant's trade alone. That's how deep the Rockets win the Durant trade, getting a perfect solution for their biggest weakness, while not losing any of the best young players or draft picks in return.

But the Rockets did not stop after joining Durant. They also signed a four-year, $53 million contract with Finney Smith; a three-year, $21.5 million contract with Clint Capela; a new manageable contract with Van Jordan; a reasonable five-year contract with Jabarry Smith; and a re-signation of Tate, brother-in-law and Holiday to perfect the list. The next goal is Ethan's contract renewal, and it will be perfect if it is completed! The end result of all these activities is a deep, versatile lineup that can beat opponents in a variety of ways: defense, rebounding, body shape, physical fitness, youth, experience, Durant’s shooting skills package.

Rockets will challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder for the unofficial title of the deepest team. The Rockets will also challenge the Thunder for a more formal title, as Houston looks to be the second best team in the West — so it is the biggest threat to Oklahoma City’s chance to be the first to win the title since Durant’s Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

This is not a perfect roster, they also need more reliable shooting guards and substitute point guards

Houston will rely heavily on Van Vreett, who is now in his 30s and has passed his peak because of the lack of backcourt depth unless a qualified player like Shepard can play! But front-court rotations can also become chaotic if capable players think they don't get the time they deserve; with Capela joining Alperen Shinkin and Steven Adams, Houston may be too inclined toward its effective double center formation.

But these are small problems, otherwise they will accumulate like mountains. The Rockets cleverly handled their caps, replacing Dillon Brooks with Finney Smith - who doesn't make the offensive as uncomfortable as Brooks does, but it's not a problem for a team with Amen Thompson and Tari Ethan - and upgraded from inefficient Jaylen Green to Durant, one of the most efficient perimeter scorers in NBA history. That's how to win the offseason.

The biggest loser: The Los Angeles Lakers

From the moment the Lakers unexpectedly acquired Luca Doncic, they urgently needed a center. They lost their previous starter Anthony Davis in the Doncic trade, and Doncic's game will fit perfectly with a dynamic pick-and-roll partner. There is a reason Daniel Gafford broke out after joining Doncic in Dallas, with Derek Lively II being an influential rookie on the same team.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Lakers agreed in principle to trade a young, resilient center after the acquisition of Doncic. But when they revoked their deal with Mark Williams due to a failed medical examination, the Lakers were trapped in the players they already had on their roster. Jaxon Hayes started four playoff games but apparently didn’t get the trust of coach JJ Redick for single-digit playtime in all four games before turning to small ball tactics for a full 48 minutes in the Lakers’ final defeat of the season. At least, their top priority this summer seems clear after the Lakers’ disappointing playoffs shutdown. However, after a few days of the free agent craze, all of their main potential targets were signed elsewhere, trapped in Deandre Ayton, who unexpectedly joined the market after a buyout deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Aiton is not an ideal short-term solution with a promising championship, nor is he a long-term candidate for Doncic. The 2018 No. 1 pick – two picks ahead of Doncic – was neither a basket runner nor a floor spacer, and his game peaked five years ago. While Ayton’s scoring statistics have been impressive, the advanced statistics all rated Ayton as a below-average player.

Meanwhile, Ayton's two-year contract with player options has little benefit to the team. If he does well in his first year, he will opt out and if he doesn't get Redick's favor, he will spend his second season on the team's books.

It was a dangerous game when the Lakers tried to manage James' dissatisfaction and persuade Doncic to sign a long-term contract renewal later this summer. At present, there are not many things on this list worthy of his signature. The Lakers' rotation is unbalanced, with a lot of power forwards - Hachimura Ai, Maxi Cleber, Jared Vanderbilt, and of course James - but there is no trustworthy center, and their only important move besides signing Ayton is to replace Finney Smith with Jack Laravia.