The 2022 NBA free agency period began on Thursday. A series of lucrative deals were reached in hours as neither teams nor players wanted to wait for surprises.

Nikola Jokic agrees to a five-year, $264 million extension with the Denver Nuggets, according to his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman of Excelbasketball

The Nuggets kept back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) with the biggest contract in NBA history. The team's payroll will explode with this deal and the contracts of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. The four will be the core of the Nuggets' squad for at least the coming three seasons. They shall be a competitive franchise, if Murray returns with a healthy left knee and Porter Jr. fixes his back.

Bradley Beal agrees to a five-year, $251 million extension with the Washington Wizards, according to his agent Mark Bartelstein of PrioritySports

Both the Wizards and their fans should be happy to see Beal's extension after their best performing player had been involved with trade rumors for multiple straight seasons. Though he only played 40 games in the 2021-22 season, Beal averaged 30+points in the previous two seasons and came so close to becoming the scoring champion in 2021. The Wizards have showed their sincereness by offering a big deal. Now they need to build a squad that can at least compete for playoff qualification. Acquiring Will Barton, Monte Morris and Delon Wright is far from enough.

Karl-Anthony Towns agrees to a four-year, $224 million extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to his agent Jessica Holtz of CAA_Basketball

The Timberwolves again gave Towns their best love and support after the 26-year-old had one of his best seasons in the 2021-22 campaign. He won the All-Star 3-point shooting contest, scored 60 points for the first time in his career and helped the team reach the playoffs for the second time in 18 years. The team's performance against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round gave the Timberwolves' front office to target high. That's probably why they gave Towns such a big deal and landed Kyle Anderson on a two-year, $18 million contract.

Devin Booker agrees to a four-year, $224 million extension with the Phoenix Suns, according to his agents Jessica Holtz and Melvin Booker of CAA_Basketbal

Keeping Booker with a super maximum deal should be part of the Suns' long-term plan despite the disappointing 2021-22 season. The back court pair of Booker and Chris Paul can be counted on for at least another season before Paul’s deal ceases to be fully guaranteed in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns. The team lost JaVale McGee, a full sized center who could make efficient contributions in limited time on the court. That should push them a bit harder to keep Deandre Ayton, who already became a restricted free agent and one of the hottest targets on the market.

Ja Morant agrees to a five-year, $193-million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to his agent Jim Tanner of Tandem/YouFirst Sports

Morant's deal can grow to $231 million if he is named for any of the All-NBA Teams in the 2022-23 season. He was already a Second-Team member in the past 2021-22 campaign after averaging 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists and leading his team to the Western Conference semifinals. The Grizzlies need Morant to improve his perimeter shooting and defense as much as they need to enhance the squad after De’Anthony Melton and Anderson leave.

Jalen Brunson agrees to a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks, according to his agents Aaron Mintz and Sam Rose of CAA_Basketball

When Brunson went to New York City to negotiate with the Knicks, he was armed with the five-year, $106 million extension offer of the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN. The Knicks did a lot of hard work to clear space, including trading away Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks and Kemba Walker, to sign Brunson. Joining the Knicks is the best decision for Brunson on the business front, but it will be a another question how far the team can go in the 2022-23 season.

Anfernee Simons agrees to a four-year, $100 million extension with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to his agent Bill Duffy of BDA_Sports + WME Sports

The Trail Plazers' decision to invest so much in Simons meant they consider him as an important part of the franchise. The 23-year-old exploded in the tanking 2021-22 season of the team, scoring 17.3 points and 3.9 assists after making 3.1 triples at 40.5 percent per game. He is likely to fill in the position of C.J. McCollum and join hands with Jerami Grant to support the owner of Moda Center, Damian Lillard.

While the above players were coming home with huge contracts, many role players signed new deals as well. They may not be as influential as stars, but they are integral pieces of a champion or a playoff team as well.

Nicolas Batum agreed to a three-year, $22 million extension with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team kept the experience, defense, orchestrating ability and the integral role of the 33-year-old French forward in the team's clutch-time small-ball squad. The Clippers also acquired John Wall and reached two extensions with Ivica Zubac (three years, $33 million) and Amir Coffey (three years, $11 million) while letting Isaiah Hartenstein go. The Clippers' luxury tax is likely to surpass $100 million, but that doesn’t seem like a problem if they can contend for the championship this season.

Malik Monk joined the Sacramento Kings on a two-year, $19 million contact. As one of the few well-performing players in the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Monk was unlikely to stay in the purple and gold from the beginning. The Kings have De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell in the guard position. Neither has the reliable 3-point shooting ability of Monk. But that enhancement alone is hardly enough for the Kings to end their 16-year-long playoff drought.

P.J. Tucker agreed to a three-year, #33.2 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Multiple teams were still willing to offer a $10 million annual salary to Tucker despite the fact that he is already 37 years old. His excellent switching ability on defense, reliable rebounding and trustworthy corner 3-point shooting ability are what the 76ers want from him. Tucker will join his old teammate James Harden again if Harden reaches a new deal with the team on the weekend.

Luguentz Dort agreed to a five-year, $87.5 million extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team, which have been rebuilding for years, have multiple players with remarkable wingspan and skills like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren they drafted this year. Dort has what they lack: explosive athleticism and aggressiveness. His defense of Harden in the 2020 playoffs was very impressive, but Dort has grown fast on the offensive front since then, averaging 17.2 points for the Thunder in the 2021-22 season.

Bobby Portis agreed to a four-year, $49 million extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. Portis has a unique role to play in the Bucks’ big squad. He is not as good as Brook Lopez in rim protection and isolation defense in the low block, but Portis is more agile to switch to cover perimeter players; he is not a paint destroyer like Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Portis can fire from outside. That's why the team is willing to keep him and likely to leave him a spot in their clutch-time squad to chase another title.

Gary Payton II agreed to a three-year, $28 million contract with the Trail Blazers. Having traveled among four teams since he came to the league in 2016, Payton II finally signed a decent deal after winning the NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors last season. Though he is a guard in size (1.9 meters tall), he plays like a small forward thanks to his elite-level defense and good rebounding ability. Payton II should be a great bench improvement to the Rip City if they can find a way to neutralize his lack of shooting range.