NAB WINNERS

Tim Duncan(notes)
Spurs executives Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford aggressively remade the Spurs into the Lakers biggest challenger again. Now, Duncan, 32, has a legitimate chance to beat Shaq and Kobe to a fifth championship.
Richard Jefferson(notes) gives the Spurs a younger, more athletic scorer and defender. Antonio McDyess(notes) was the Spurs’ top priority in free agency. Perhaps DeJuan Blair’s(notes) knees won’t last a decade in the NBA, but for a minimal second-round investment he could contribute through what’s left of Duncan’s window. They just need Manu Ginobili(notes) to be himself again.
Spurs owner Peter Holt has boldly pushed his franchise into the luxury tax for next season, a small-market owner hell-bent on winning another championship.
• Marcin Gortat(notes)
As a 12-minute-a-game center for the Orlando Magic, Gortat scored himself a five-year, $34 million offer sheet from the Dallas Mavericks. Nevertheless, two sources familiar with Orlando’s plans believe Magic GM Otis Smith is strongly considering to match the offer and keep the 7-footer.
Pistons GM Joe Dumars.
(Getty)
• Joe Dumars and Bryan Colangelo
This was the summer to get the most out of your money in free agency, and the GMs of the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors understood that waiting for 2010 wasn’t the wisest move.
Dumars gets a terrific young core with free agents Ben Gordon(notes) and Charlie Villanueva(notes) and can still use Prince or Richard Hamilton(notes) as chips for a frontline big man. Utah’s Carlos Boozer(notes) still lingers as a possibility, though Dumars has so far been reluctant to part with Prince for him.
Colangelo stole Turkoglu out of Portland’s clutches, and then worked a sign-and-trade with Orlando to spare his mid-level exception. Colangelo won’t give up on convincing Chris Bosh(notes) to stay with Toronto.
• Eastern contenders
Despite the bleak economic climate, ownership in Boston, Cleveland and Orlando pushed themselves deep into luxury tax for next season. The arms race in the East escalated with Shaquille O’Neal(notes) to the Cavs, Vince Carter(notes) to the Magic and Rasheed Wallace(notes) to the Celtics. Nevertheless, this has been a summer of the haves and have-nots. Those with a chance to win are going for it, and yet a lot of the NBA is determined to cut costs and spare themselves financial losses.