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NBA free agency is still underway during the 2024 offseason, but most of the big moves have already been made. As has been the theme in recent offseasons, the free agent period was busy with megastars receiving huge deals, some of which landed them on new teams in new cities.
The likes of LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, and Klay Thompson all signed new contracts during free agency, the latter three of which received their new deals with new teams. In this era of the league, it has become common for superstars to jump ship and join a new squad, but that wasn't always the case.
Even so, there have been some external free-agent signings throughout NBA history that stand above the rest. In this article, we are going to rank the 10 greatest free agent signings in NBA history where a player joined a new team. We will take into account both the significance of the move itself, as well as the impact that free agent acquisition had on their new team. Players who re-signed with their old team do not qualify for this list.
HM. Michael Jordan: Washington Wizards, 2001
Just on the outside looking in of our top 10 for the biggest NBA free agent signings ever is Michael Jordan's second return from retirement. This return wasn't as big of a deal as his re-commitment to the Chicago Bulls in 1994, and something wasn't quite right about the GOAT suiting up for a new team.
Even so, Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever, so it was a huge deal when he returned to the NBA after a three-year hiatus. After leaving the Bulls, Jordan became a part owner and the president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. He eventually deemed that the best way to save the franchise and improve the on-court play was to suit up himself.
Jordan was well past his prime at this point, so his impact on the league while playing for the Wizards wasn't as big as the other players on this list. Regardless, His Airness was still a beast. He struggled with injuries in his age 38-39 seasons, but he still made the All-Star Game both years that he played for Washington, and his 22.9 points per game in his first season back was an impressive feat.
10. Kawhi Leonard: Los Angeles Clippers, 2019
Usually, when a free agent signs a big contract in Los Angeles, it is with the Lakers, but Kawhi Leonard helped change the narrative for the Clippers when he signed with them in 2019. Leonard was a package deal with Paul George, who the Clippers traded for in the same offseason. Together, they ushered in a new era of basketball that has helped the Clippers confirm their status as a powerhouse after decades of time being the league's bottom dwellers.
George was a trade acquisition, so he doesn't qualify for this list. He has even since signed a big deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Leonard, though, was a free agent signing, and he has remained one of the biggest names in the NBA since joining the Clippers. The pair never brought the Clippers home a championship, and they didn't meet a lot of fans expectations, largely due to injury trouble Leonard has dealt with during his time in Los Angeles.
Still, Leonard has remained one of the best defensive players in the NBA with the Clippers, and he has a number of big moments with the team. Leonard has been an All-Star in three of his four seasons with the Clippers (he missed the entirety of a fifth season with an ACL injury), and he even had arguably the best season of his career in 2019-20 after scoring a career-high 27.1 points per game and finishing fifth in MVP voting.
9. Chauncey Billups: Detroit Pistons, 2002
Usually, teams full of superstars win the NBA Finals. That wasn't the case for the 2004 Detroit Pistons that took down the Shaq and Kobe Los Angeles Lakers at the highest stage. That team was full of role players, but they couldn't have done it without their best player: Chauncey Billups, who was a 2002 free-agent acquisition.
Billups bounced around the league in his early years in the NBA. He seemed destined for journeyman status, but he found a home in Detroit. There, he went to three of his five All-Star Games, and the upset he led over the Lakers went down as the biggest upset in league history.
8. Chris Bosh: Miami Heat, 2010
When Chris Bosh signed with the Heat in 2010, he wasn't even the biggest free agent acquisition for the franchise that offseason. Even so, his signing with the Heat was surely one of the 10 greatest and most influential external NBA free agent signings ever. The big man was one-third of an extremely important big three.
His versatile, inside-outside skillset was the perfect fit alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Bosh had a lot of big moments in Miami, but his most famous play ever was when he secured a LeBron James miss before passing it out to Ray Allen who nailed a game-tying corner three-pointer to send Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals to overtime. The rebound helped the Heat come back to win the series, and it will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic plays in NBA history.
7. Moses Malone: Philadelphia 76ers, 1982
Moses Malone is one of the game's forgotten greats. The big man won three MVPs, though, and his legacy should be forever remembered. What Malone did as a free agent in 1982 was jaw-dropping, though. Fresh off of an MVP season with the Houston Rockets, Malone opted for a change of scenario and signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In Philadelphia, Malone teamed up with Julius Erving. He immediately won another MVP, as well as a championship ring. Leaving a team in free agency after winning MVP is a major risk, but it paid off in a big way for the Chairman of Boards.
6. Steve Nash: Phoenix Suns, 2004
Steve Nash was drafted by the Phoenix Suns, but he didn't have much success with the team during his first stint. The legendary point guard didn't become an All-Star-caliber player until he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. It was after his Mavericks run when he came back to Phoenix that the Santa Clara product established himself as one of the best point guards ever, though.
Nash played on the Suns during a time that players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Shaquille O'Neal were dominating the league, yet it was him that won back-to-back MVPs in 2005 and 2006. Nash joined the Suns in free agency in 2004 and immediately turned the program into an offensive powerhouse.
With Nash running the offense, the Suns went from a 29-win team to a 62-win team, which was the fourth biggest season-to-season improvement in league history. Nash's offenses in Phoenix were called the “seven seconds or less” Suns, and they were among the highest-powered teams on that side of the ball ever. Nash's mastery of handling the ball and getting his teammates open looks were a big reason why.
The Suns have made some big offseason moves in recent years, including trading for the likes of Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Phoenix even made a blockbuster trade for Charles Barkley back in the day. Nash's free agent signing with the team in 2004 remains the greatest free agent signing in franchise history, though.
5. LeBron James: Los Angeles Lakers, 2018
Even though LeBron James has signed as a free agent with a new team on three separate occasions, it truly never gets old. This was especially the case when James' new team became one as prestigious as the Los Angeles Lakers. By no means was James' departure to Los Angeles an example of a player out of their prime finishing their career in an unfamiliar jersey.
James has continued to dominate the league while playing for the Lakers. He has a championship to his name with the team, and he will now be entering his seventh season in Los Angeles. Those seven seasons are more than he played in either Miami or during his second stint in Cleveland, and once he completes year 22 in the NBA, his Lakers tenure will have been as long as his first go around with the Cavaliers.
James might not be the clear-cut best player in the NBA like he once was, but the fact that he is still an elite, top-10 level player lets you know how big of a free agent signing this truly was. The destination he chose is just the cherry on top.
4. LeBron James: Cleveland Cavaliers, 2014
Yes, LeBron James is on this list multiple times. King James' return to Cleveland in 2014 ranks higher than when he left that team for the Lakers in 2018. James was always meant to be the savior of the NBA team based in Ohio. It was his home state, but fans of the Cavaliers felt betrayed when James signed with the Miami Heat.
He redeemed himself in the eyes of Cleveland when he returned home, especially because he delivered the team the championship that he had promised, which was the first in franchise history.
James was top-five in MVP voting in all four seasons he played with the Cavaliers during his second stint with the team. He also extended his consecutive NBA Finals appearances streak to eight while playing with the team. James had more help this go around in Cleveland, as he teamed up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to be the only team that could give the Golden State Warriors a run for their money at this time.
3. Kevin Durant: Golden State Warriors, 2016
Kevin Durant signing as a free agent with the Warriors was a huge deal on multiple fronts. Obviously, arguably the game's greatest scorer ever signing with a new team and winning two Finals MVPs is a big deal, but Durant's decision to join the Warriors is infamous because they beat him in the postseason the season prior.
Many considered the decision to join the enemy (that was already quickly becoming a dynasty) as a cowardly move. The truth is that by joining the Warriors, Durant helped create one of the most iconic teams in league history, and he significantly boosted his resume.
The Warriors also had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green on the roster. They were coming off a league-record 73-win season before adding Durant, so adding the four-time scoring champion made the dynasty unstoppable.
2. Shaquille O'Neal: Los Angeles Lakers, 1996
The Lakers have had more superstars than any other NBA team, and they are known for acquiring the very best talent the league has to offer. There have been a number of legends to sign in Los Angeles, but Shaquille O'Neal's decision to join the team in the summer of 1996 was bigger than any other free agent commitment for the organization.
Obviously, LeBron James signing with the Lakers was also a huge deal, but he didn't bring the team three championships like Shaq did. O'Neal was a heck of a player with the Orlando Magic, but he took his game to new heights in Los Angeles. There, he became arguably the most dominant player in league history.
He consistently averaged close to 30 points per game, and there was simply no answer for the big man inside. Kobe Bryant was drafted the same year that O'Neal joined the Lakers. The duo formed the best two-man force in NBA history.
1. LeBron James: Miami Heat, 2010
For the third time on this list, we see LeBron James as one of the greatest free agent signings in NBA history. His decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010 was bigger than when he signed with the Cavaliers in 2014 or the Lakers in 2018, though. James' status as a free agent in 2010 made for the most anticipated offseason in NBA history.
ESPN broadcasted James' choice to join the Heat in a live event called “The Decision.” It was a move bigger than anything in sports before. James teamed up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and declared he would win seven titles with the team. James' tenure in Miami didn't even last that long, but his time with the Heat was still extremely significant for the entire league.
The Heat made arguably the first true superteam in NBA history, as both James and Bosh signed with the Heat as free agents. The team lived up to the hype, too. The Heat went to the NBA Finals all four years that James played for them, and they won it all twice. During that time, James won two MVPs. As one of the best players in league history, James has found success on all four teams that he has played on (two stints with the Cavaliers), but he is arguably most known for the Miami stint.
