The Philadelphia 76ers have a long and illustrious history of free agency signings, with a couple of the best players to ever represent them – and to play in the NBA – joining the franchise in that way. A lot of the most fruitful of these signings came in the 1970s in the lead-up to their period of success during the late '70s and early '80s, while a couple of more recent pick-ups have also helped them to climb their way back up the Western Conference standings. These are the eight best Sixers free agency signings in history, ranked down to number one.
8. Caldwell Jones (1976)
After playing in the ABA for the first three seasons of his career, Caldwell Jones signed with the Sixers after the league merged with the NBA in 1976, and would go on to become a pivotal player during a strong period for the team. Though he was never one to put up huge numbers, Jones was a really strong rebounder and played a key role at center for a team which made the NBA Finals three times in his six seasons there. Unfortunately for Jones, he moved to the Rockets in the 1982 offseason and was forced to watch on from Houston as the 76ers finally went on to win the championship in 1983.
7. Allen Iverson (2009)
This might not have been the best free agency signings in terms of what Iverson was able to deliver on court in his second stint in Philadelphia, but in terms of pure emotion it was right up there. After establishing himself as one of the greatest players to pull on a Sixers jersey throughout the first ten seasons of his career, Iverson went on to play three seasons with the Nuggets and Pistons before returning to Philadelphia. By that stage he was 34 and well past his prime, and he would ultimately play just 25 games for 13.1 points and 4.1 assists per game. Regardless of what he was able to do or not do on the court, however, this was a wildly popular signing.
6. JJ Redick (2017)
JJ Redick's tenure with the Sixers wasn't a long one, but it was certainly productive. He spent just two seasons with the team, but they won more than 50 games in both of them – though each of those years did end in disappointing fashion in the Conference Semi-Finals. Still, Redick was a really solid player for the Sixers, averaging 17.1 points in his first season and 18.1 in his second while continuing to showcase his elite outside shooting – hitting 42% of long-range attempts in his first season. That year, he hit what is currently the fifth highest number of threes in franchise history, while the following season the 240 he hit is the most ever for the Sixers in a single season.
5. Steve Mix (1973)
Like Caldwell Jones, Steve Mix began his career in the ABA before joining the 76ers in 1973. He made an immediate impact, averaging a double-double in each of his first two seasons, and though his role was reduced somewhat when a guy called Julius Erving arrived, he was still a valuable player over his nine seasons with the team. That reduced role saw his minutes drop from over 36 in each of his first three seasons down to 26.1 in his fourth, 22.1 in his fifth and then under 20 for the rest, but his production in limited time remained solid. By his final season in Philadelphia he was averaging just 7.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, but nonetheless his was a good career during a successful era for the Sixers.
4. George Lynch (1999)
George Lynch was the kind of player who often didn't get the credit he deserved, but after signing with the Sixers in 1999 he was a valuable player for them for three seasons and one who played a key role in their unlikely run to the NBA Finals in 2001. That season he averaged 8.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, similar numbers to what he put up in his other two teams, but while he was outshone by names like Allen Iverson and Eric Snow, Lynch was a strong defender, a player who did plenty of dirty work and typified the underdog, hard-working nature of this team. While not the most talented, that side won 56 games to finish on top of the Eastern Conference before winning two Game 7s en route to an NBA Finals appearance, and though they went down in five games to the Lakers, it was a great run and one in which George Lynch played a major role.
3. Robert Covington (2014)
Covington didn't do a whole lot in his first season and a bit with the Rockets, playing just eight games and recording a grand total of 19 points, five rebounds and zero assists. But Philadelphia saw something in him that Houston clearly didn't, and after they released him he was signed to a four-year deal by the Sixers. He blossomed into an important player for the team during a difficult period in which The Process was in full swing – in his first two seasons there they won just 18 and then 10 games, but that jumped up to 28 in his third before they catapulted back into the playoffs with a 52-win season in 2017-18. Covington's hard-nosed defense was pivotal on a young team and ultimately saw him voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team that season. Early in his fifth season in Philly, Covington was traded to the Timberwolves in a deal which brought Jimmy Butler to the team, but his impact in his time there had already made him one of the best free agency signings in franchise history.
2. George McGinnes (1975)
We round out this list with a couple of big names who signed for the Sixers in the mid-70s, beginning with George McGinnes. Though he only played three seasons with the team, he was clearly one of the best Sixers free agency signings in history, and he played a big role in their development from a 46-win team in his first season, to 50+ wins in the next two during a period which included a trip to the NBA Finals. Standing at 6'8″, McGinnes was a lethal scorer and a great rebounder, putting up 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in each of his seasons in Philly while also doling out around four assists a night. He was an NBA All-Star with the team in both 1976 and 1977, while he was also voted to the All-NBA First Team in '76 and the Second Team the year after. Had he stayed in Philadelphia for longer, he would no doubt be remembered even more fondly by the franchise, though however long he stayed he wouldn't have passed the next name as the best free agency signing the Sixers have ever had.
1. Julius Erving (1976)
Julius Erving was, technically, traded to the 76ers, but given that it was in exchange for cash in an effort to keep the Nets around during the ABA-NBA merger, we can comfortably call this one a free agency signing. And what a signing it was. By the time he moved to Philadelphia, there was no doubting just how good Dr J was – he'd already been putting up absurd numbers, roughly 30 points, 11 boards and five assists a game, during his five seasons in the ABA. Nothing changed once he joined the NBA. Erving would go on to etch his name into history as one of the best to ever play the game. He went on to play the remaining 11 seasons of his career with the Sixers, making a casual 11 All-Star appearances, five All-NBA First Team appearances, winning an MVP Award in 1981, and most importantly, bringing a championship to the city in 1983. It was an easy decision to hang his number six jersey in the rafters for the Sixers, as it was to have him inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. One of the greatest to do it, Erving is an unequivocal choice as the best free agency signing in Sixers history.
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