This is the time of year when NBA fans get to lick their wounds from the previous year, and find some hope for the upcoming season. The draft is over, free agents have for the most part been signed, and it's time to look at how the dust has settled. Some teams did very well…others… not so well. Here is my list of winners and losers this offseason.

WINNERS
1. Philadelphia 76ers: IN: Via Draft: Marreese Speights. Via Free Agency: Elton Brand, Royal Ivey, Kareem Rush. Via Free Agency: Re-signed Louis Williams, Andre Iguodala. OUT: Calvin Booth, Rodney Carney, Louis Amundson, Shavlik Randolph.

There is no question Philadelphia landed the best free agent this summer by signing Elton Brand. Putting Brand next to Thaddeus Young and Sam Dalembert is going to be sensational. They also got one of the most athletic power forward/centers in the draft when they selected Florida's Speights. With the re-signing of free agent guard Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia will certainly be a playoff team next season.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: IN: Via Draft: Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic. Via Trade: Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, Jason Collins, Calvin Booth, Rodney Carney. Via Free Agency: Re-signed Ryan Gomes, Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair. OUT: Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner, Antoine Walker.

No team transformed themselves more during this offseason than the Minnesota Timberwolves. Here is the short list of accomplishments: They cleaned up their salary cap (Marko Jaric contract), their locker room (Antoine Walker), signed their own free agents responsibly (Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes), traded for one of the best shooters in the NBA (Mike Miller), and obtained the best big man in the 2008 draft (Kevin Love). They can easily win 15-20 more games this season.

3. Portland Trail Blazers: IN: Via Draft: Jerryd Bayless, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez (2007). Via Trade: Ike Diogu. OUT: Via Free Agency: James Jones. Via Trade: Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts.

Other teams may have done better, but no team has made better personnel decisions over the past three years than the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers traded picks with Indiana to obtain Arizona point guard Jerryd Bayless. They will also welcome two fantastic European players in Rudy Fernandez (Spain) and Nicolas Batum (France) to Portland for training camp. They’ve acquired Bayless, Roy, Fernandez, Oden and Aldridge all in the last three years…genius.

4. Miami Heat: IN: Via Draft: Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers. Via Free Agency: James Jones. OUT: Ricky Davis, Jason Williams.

Miami might have been the worst team in the NBA last season, but they got the best player in the draft when Chicago passed on Michael Beasley. Mario Chalmers was a steal in the 2nd round that gives them depth at the point guard position with Jason Williams signing with the Clippers.

5. Houston Rockets: IN: Via Draft: Joey Dorsey, Marty Leunen. Via Free Agency: Brent Barry. Via Trade: Ron Artest. OUT: Via Trade: Bobby Jackson, Donte Green.

Trading for Ron Artest is the basketball equivalent of placing your life's savings on red and spinning the roulette wheel. There has never been a greater risk/reward player in the history of the league. If it works the Rockets could be one of the best teams in the league and Tracy McGrady might finally win his first playoff series. If it doesn't…it is the end of the road for Ron Ron.

HONORABLE MENTION
New Jersey Nets: Drafting Brook Lopez and Chris Douglas-Roberts, trading for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, signing free agents Eduardo Najera, Keyon Dooling and Jarvis Hayes.

Memphis Grizzlies: Trading for rookies OJ Mayo and Darrell Arthur.

LOSERS
1. Denver Nuggets: IN: Via Draft: Sonny Weems. Via Free Agency: Anthony Carter, Chris Anderson, Dahntay Jones. Via Trade: Renaldo Balkman.

There are only three things I like about the Denver Nuggets 1) Carmelo Anthony; 2) Allen Iverson; 3) The City of Denver. I don't like their coach, their personnel, their uniforms, the food in the media room before the game, and I don't like their decision-making. Evidently the Nuggets don't need young talent because they traded the 20th pick to Charlotte for future first-round considerations. They also don't need value when they make a trade. How do you trade Marcus Camby and only swap second round picks and receive a $10 million trade exception to show for it? Who is Sonny Weems, and why did they sign Chris “Birdman” Anderson after he was banned for two years for substance abuse? Let the fire sale begin.

2. Dallas Mavericks: IN: Via Draft: Shane Foster. Via Free Agency: DeSagana Diop, Gerald Green, re-sign: J.J. Barea.

The Mavs made a desperate move last year by trading point guard Devin Harris for the aging Jason Kidd. This offseason they have not made any major deals to get better and paid a whopping $30 million to sign free agent center DeSagana Diop. It seems to me the Mavericks window is closing fast.

3. New York Knicks: IN: Via Draft: Danilo Gallinari. Via Free Agency: Chris Duhon. OUT: Via Trade: Renaldo Balkman. Via Free Agency: Randolph Morris.

As much as I respect Donnie Walsh and think he is a huge upgrade over Isiah Thomas, this is not his greatest work. When 20-year-old Italian star Danilo Gallinari was drafted by the New York this summer, Knick fans expressed their displeasure in a way only they can…they booed. Gallinari is walking into a very difficult situation because the Knicks roster is filled with selfish, lazy, overpaid players. They need polished, NBA ready toughness, not a European project with potential. Chris Duhon is an average talent who will not help them in the locker room.

4. Indiana Pacers: IN: Via Trade: Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert. Via Trade: T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts. OUT: Via Trade: Ike Diogu, Jermaine O'Neal.

Larry Bird's decision making might end up working out just fine, but I'm thinking you could have done better trading Jermaine O'Neal. I'm not convinced Roy Hibbert (17th pick acquired from Toronto) and Brandon Rush (traded for Jarryd Bayless) will be a productive NBA players. I liked Jarryd Bayless more than T.J. Ford for the Pacers and I think Rasho Nesterovic is ready for the scrap heap. Jarrett Jack is a good backup. Josh McRoberts is from Indianapolis originally, but has played a total of 28 minutes in his two-year career. Many people are giving the Pacers high marks…I think they could have done better.

5. Detroit Pistons: IN: Via Draft: Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington. Via Free Agency: Kwame Brown, Will Bynum. Re-signed Walter Hermann.

The Pistons originally drafted Indiana University star D.J. White with the 29th pick of this year's draft, but shipped him off for UAB's Walter Sharpe and BYU's Trent Plaisted. That's fine…who knows maybe Dumars has found the next Rodney Stuckey. But when your team is getting old and you have to keep pace with the Boston Celtics, your biggest free agent signing can't be Kwame Brown and Walter Hermann.

COULD GO EITHER WAY
These teams made some very interesting personnel moves that could work out great or be absolute disasters.

1. LA Clippers: IN: Via Draft: Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan. Via Free Agency: Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Brian Skinner, Jason Williams. Via Trade: Marcus Camby, Jason Hart. Losing Elton Brand hurt bad. What a strange collection of odds and ends.

2. Toronto Raptors: IN: Via Free Agency: Jose Calderon. Via Trade: Jermaine O'Neal. OUT: Via Trade: TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic.

Signing Calderon is positive. If Jermaine O'Neal can stay healthy the Raptors could be a monster.

3. Chicago Bulls: IN: Via Draft: Derrick Rose, Omer Asik. Via Free Agency: Luol Deng. OUT: Via Free Agency: Chris Duhon.

Derrick Rose could be the second coming of Isiah Thomas, but Chicago should have picked Michael Beasley.

4. Milwaukee Bucks: IN: Via Draft: Joe Alexander, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Via Trade: Richard Jefferson, Luke Ridnour, Damon Jones, Adrian Griffin. OUT: Via Trade: Bobby Simmons, Yi Jianlian, Mo Williams, Desmond Mason.

Where will Scott Skiles find time for Joe Alexander who plays the same position as Richard Jefferson?

5. Golden State Warriors: IN: Via Draft: Anthony Randolph, Richard Hendrix. Via Free Agency: Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf. Re-signed: Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike. Via Trade: Marcus Williams. OUT: Via Free Agency: Matt Barnes, Baron Davis, Mickael Pietrus.

The Warriors will miss Baron Davis' clutch scoring which is why they overpaid for Maggette. Can Monte Ellis take over the point guard position? Anthony Randolph could be a complete freak of nature. Nellie will make it interesting.

TEAMS THAT AVERTED DISASTER
These teams re-signed franchise players that would have killed the franchise had they left.

Washington Wizards: Re-signed Gilbert Arenas and extended Antawn Jamison.

Charlotte Bobcats: Re-signed Emeka Okafor.

Atlanta Hawks: Re-signed Josh Smith after losing Josh Childress to Greece.

Jim Petersen would like to hear from you! If you have any Timberwolves/NBA questions or comments for Jim, send them to petersen@timberwolves.com