The 25 Most Valuable Free Agent Signings in NBA History

NBA free agency has become an entirely separate season unto itself, a non-stop circus of Twitter rumors and teams battling each other to sign big names like LeBron James and Chris Bosh. It hasn’t always been this way, though; before Twitter and even before the internet, it was a much more understated affair that made it a lot easier to find talented players who could make a huge impact.

While some free agents fail miserably and a great many work out exactly as expected, there are a select few who exceed whatever expectations have been attached to them. Whether it’s a role player like Steve Kerr who hits a huge shot, a hidden gem like John Starks, or the reigning MVP like Moses Malone, a shrewd free agent signing can swing the fortunes of an entire franchise.

As we enter the prime of the free agency period, and the most important domino falling with LeBron going back to Cleveland, we’re taking a look at the 25 Most Valuable Free Agent Signings in NBA History.

*NOTE: Included on this are only instances of players changing teams. So even though Duncan almost went to the Magic and Kobe almost went to the Clippers, because they stayed with their teams they are ineligible.

RELATED: Chris Sheridan Is Absolutely Convinced LeBron James Is Going Back to Cleveland
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25. Malik Rose

Year: 1997
Old team: Charlotte Hornets
New team: San Antonio Spurs
Contract: one year, $272,000

Malik Rose may have never been Shaq or Hakeem, but he served his purpose during his tenure in the NBA. He was the quintessential Spurs role player, doing all of the small things that helped them win NBA titles. When Rose signed with the Spurs for one year in 1997, it was the beginning of a long relationship that would last eight seasons.

After signing one-year deals in 1997 and 1998, Rose agreed to a three-year extension with the Spurs that paid him $7 million, then signed another multi-year contract when the previous deal ended. Rose posted 7.5 points and 4.8 boards in a mere 18.4 minutes per game in his time with the Spurs, but the 6' 7" forward won two championships, so he'd probably say it was worth it.

24. Allan Houston

Year: 1996
Old team: Detroit Pistons
New team: New York Knicks
Contract: five years, $35 million

Before he signed possibly the worst contract in the history of sports, Houston was a great value for the late 1990s Knicks. Alongside Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson, Houston took New York on a Cinderella run to the 1999 NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed. On the way there he hit one of the biggest shots in Knicks history with his Game 5 buzzer beater that upset the top seeded Heat in the first round, breaking Alonzo Mourning's heart.

23. John Starks

Year: 1990
Old team: Memphis Rockers (WBL)
New team: New York Knicks
Contract: four years, $2.2 million

Long before "The Dunk," Starks was toiling away with the Memphis Rockers of the WBL. But after signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Knicks in 1990, Starks immediately thrived in New York. From his dominant D to his fiery persona, Starks quickly established himself as a folk hero among Knick fans (head-butting Reggie Miller probably helped). Starks averaged 19 points per game during the Knicks' run to the Finals, setting himself up for a big contract extension.

22. Tom Chambers

Year: 1988
Old team: Seattle SuperSonics
New team: Phoenix Suns
Contract: five years, $10 million

Before Tom Chambers, NBA free agency wasn't very "free" at all. It seems like an idea completely detached from the current league, but before 1988, the NBA's top stars hardly moved around. If your contract was up, you generally signed a new one with your previous team. If another team wanted to sign you, they'd need to send compensation to the previous team.

Chambers' case was the first in true free agency history. Chambers enjoyed moderate success with the Seattle SuperSonics, putting up 20 points and seven rebounds per game over four years, and after his deal expired in 1988 he was certainly due for a raise. The earliest stages of unrestricted free agency were implemented that summer, and soon, a precedent was set. The Phoenix Suns wined and dined Chambers before presenting a five-year, multi-million dollar offer, and the NBA had its first free agency poster boy.

The move made Chambers one of the higher-paid players in the league at the time, clocking in at around $2 million a season, despite the salary cap never eclipsing $14 million during his deal.

With Phoenix, he put up the same reliable 20 and seven that he did with the Sonics, and helped the Suns appear in the 1993 Finals. He had tremendous value to those Suns teams, but his real value lies in his impact on the league as a whole.

Today's free agents, cashing out with nine-figure deals at times, in part have Chambers to thank.

21. Ron Harper

Year: 1994
Old team: Los Angeles Clippers
New team: Chicago Bulls
Contract: five years, $19.2 million

Yet another chapter of the Bulls beating out New York during the 1990s, Chicago lured Ron Harper away from the Knicks during free-agent negotiations in 1994 with a $19 million deal. When Michael Jordan's NBA career was presumed to be over while he was trying to make the Chicago White Sox, the Bulls were desperate for a difference maker in the backcourt. They found one in Harper, even after MJ's eventual return.

Harper started the majority of his 350 Bulls games through the mid-90s at point guard, and his presence helped Phil Jackson's Bulls reach championship heights three more times before the era came to a close. So that $19 million investment in a role player was more than worth the gamble, even if he was the team's highest-paid player on the 13-win 1998-99 post-MJ-Pip-Phil squad.

20. Steve Kerr

Year: 1993
Old team: Orlando Magic
New team: Chicago Bulls
Contract: one year, $150,000

Steve Kerr never made $1 million in a single season with the Bulls, but that is not indicative of how valuable he was as a free agent signing. During Kerr's first year with the Bulls he demonstrated that he was an unbelievable bargain, and even after he re-signed with Chicago on a long-term deal in 1994, he made a maximum of $800,000.

Though he never started a game with the Bulls, Kerr was a key piece to their 1996-1998 three-peat. He was a sniper who lived from three-point range, never finishing below fifth in three-point field goal percentage during his five seasons in Chicago. Not to mention, he was responsible for dropping the game winner in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals.

He deserves to be on this list for being one of the guys MJ would ever feel comfortable passing to in a clutch situation.

19. Avery Johnson

Year: 1994
Old team: Golden State Warriors
New team: San Antonio Spurs
Contract: five years, $9 million

The younger population may know Avery Johnson as the former coach of the Mavs and Nets, but prior to his career on the bench Johnson was also a successful NBA player. Standing at 5'10", Johnson made up for his lack in size with tremendous heart and an ability to do pretty much anything the Spurs required of him. San Antonio had the "Twin Towers" of Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but it was the "Little General" that nailed the shot that won the Spurs their first NBA championship in 1999.

Johnson lasted 10 years with the Spurs, averaging 10.1 points and 6.9 assists per game and becoming (arguably) the player responsible for starting the Spurs dynasty that is still dominating in 2014.

18. George McGinnis

Year: 1975
Old team: Indiana Pacers (ABA)
New team: Philadelphia 76ers
Contract: six years, $400,000 ($500,000 signing bonus)

There's a YouTube video that calls George McGinnis the LeBron of 1976, which signifies how valued he was in the 1970s. McGinnis left the ABA to join the 76ers in 1975 and instantly ignited a team that hadn't been to the playoffs in four seasons. The 76ers made the playoffs in each of McGinnis' three years with the team, leading them to the NBA Finals in the 1976-77 season where Philly lost to the Blazers.

His 21.6 points per game in three years with Philadelphia shows the impact McGinnis had on reviving a franchise desperately in need of a winning season.

17. Gus Williams

Year: 1977
Old team: Golden State Warriors
New team: Seattle SuperSonics
Contract: three years, undisclosed terms

You may be familiar with the cases of Gilbert Arenas and Jeremy Lin, two unlikely young stars who were due for wealthy contracts soon after entering the league. Gus Williams was the Godfather of this sort of player, putting up promising numbers as a role player after being drafted in the second round by Golden State. Seattle wound up offering the restricted free agent Williams a three-year deal, and Golden State wasn't willing to match.

Upon signing with Seattle, Williams averaged 20 points and four assists per game while the Sonics appeared in the Finals twice, winning in 1979. Famously, Williams held out for the entire 1980-81 season, and came away with an even richer contract afterwards.

16. Jamaal Wilkes

Year: 1977
Old team: Golden State Warriors
New team: Los Angeles Lakers
Contract: undisclosed

Jamaal Wilkes was the 11th overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft, selected by the Golden State Warriors. After averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game over his first three campaigns, the then-24-year-old Wilkes had his eyes set on Hollywood.

His hometown Lakers signed the budding star to a contract of undisclosed terms, but one that's widely regarded as one of the more team-friendly deals ever. "It was not the financial kind of thing in this contract," Wilkes' agent said after the signing, according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "Jamaal has wanted to play with Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], has wanted to return home and play before the fans who watched him before."

The future Hall of Famer went on to average 18 points and five rebounds per game on 52 percent shooting over his eight Lakers seasons, and the man they called "Silk" helped lead Los Angeles to three titles.

15. Michael Finley

Year: 2005
Old team: Dallas Mavericks
New team: San Antonio Spurs
Contract: three years, $9 million

Is it really a surprise that the Spurs got one of the best free agents in 2005 to sign for a lesser deal after the team had just won an NBA championship? The Dallas Mavericks feverishly attempted to move Michael Finley to the Eastern Conference, but failed and resorted to amnestying him (and the three years and $51.3 million remaining on his deal) instead. Seeking a ring, Finley spurned the Heat and Suns and decided to sign with the Spurs, and he fulfilled his championship aspirations during the 2006-07 season.

He averaged 11.3 points per game in the playoffs on 41 percent shooting from three, helping the Spurs capture their fourth title.

14. Horace Grant

Year: 1994
Old team: Chicago Bulls
New team: Orlando Magic
Contract: six years, $22 million

Horace Grant's situation with the Bulls was so toxic that owner Jerry Reinsdorf accused Grant of faking an injury that possibly cost Chicago a title. This insult led to Grant publicly pine to play for the Orlando Magic, which in turn caused the Bulls to file a tampering suit when the forward signed with them. The 6' 10" beast teamed up with Shaq and Penny to create a venomous "Big Three" in Orlando, and he continued to be a productive player for the Magic as he averaged 11.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in seven seasons. While they never won a title, the Magic did at least defeat the Bulls in the second round of the 1995 Eastern Conference Playoffs, giving Grant the sweet revenge he desired.

13. Bruce Bowen

Year: 2001
Old team: Miami Heat
New team: San Antonio Spurs
Contract: six years, $18 million

Greg Popovich may have said that Bruce Bowen "couldn't dribble and couldn't pass," but there's no denying that he could play D. Bowen made the NBA All-Defensive team eight years in a row and also led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in 2003. He was the defensive anchor for the Spurs' three championships between 2003 to 2007, and he also taught basketball players everywhere how not to close out when he kung-fu kicked Wally Szczerbiak in the face in 2002.

12. Vlade Divac

Year: 1998
Old team: Charlotte Hornets
New team: Sacramento Kings
Contract: six years, $60 million

Divac was a huge part of the ferocious Lakers-Kings rivalry in the early 2000s. The Serbian center went toe-to-toe with Shaq while the Diesel was in his prime, and averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds per game against the Lakers in the 2001-2002 season. His great passing and post play gave the Kings a fighting chance against L.A., and we can at least partially blame disgraced ref Tim Donaghy for the fact that Divac doesn't have a ring.

11. Tim Hardaway

Year: 1996
Old team: Golden State Warriors
New team: Miami Heat
Contract: five years, $30 million

When he wasn't breaking ankles, Hardaway was breaking the hearts of Knicks fans throughout the late 1990s. Once he signed a five-year, $30 million contract with Miami in 1996, Hardaway immediately went to work and made the All-NBA first team in 1997, was a five time All-Star, and had his number retired by the Heat. He also basically beat the Knicks by himself in Game 7 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals , when he had 38 points, seven assists and five steals in a Heat win.

10. Gilbert Arenas

Year: 2003
Old team: Golden State Warriors
New team: Washington Wizards
Contract: six years, $60 million

Before he became a cautionary tale, Gilbert Arenas was one of the great free agent steals of this era. After showing his scoring prowess in two seasons with the Warriors, Arenas hit restricted free agency and received a six year, $60 million offer from the Washington Wizards. Because of the rules at the time, the capped-out Warriors were unable to match, and Arenas went on to make three All-Star teams and reach the playoffs four times in Washington.

9. Dikembe Mutombo

Year: 1995
Old team: Denver Nuggets
New team: Atlanta Hawks
Contract: seven years, $70 million

It wouldn't be fair to say Dikembe Mutombo toiled away in Denver, but apart from the team's iconic victory over No. 1 seeded Seattle in the first round of the 1994 playoffs, they didn't do much in his five years there. After never winning more than 42 games with the Nuggets, Mutombo jumped over to Atlanta and helped the team improve by 10 wins during his first season. He made four All-Star teams in five seasons before being shipped to Philadelphia in February of 2001.

8. Robert Horry

Year: 2003
Old team: Los Angeles Lakers
New team: San Antonio Spurs
Contract: two years, $9.5 million

After the shot he hit against the Kings in 2002, you'd think Robert Horry would never be allowed to leave the Lakers. However, Horry decided he wanted to be closer to his family in Houston and signed with the Spurs, one of the Lakers' biggest rivals in the Western Conference. Playing significantly fewer minutes than he did in L.A. (he averaged just 16.8 minutes per game in San Antonio), Horry played a key role on the 2005 and 2007 championship-winning Spurs teams and rode off into the sunset with seven rings to his name, the only player to win that many who wasn't on the 1960s Celtics.

7. Chris Bosh

Year: 2010
Old team: Toronto Raptors
New team: Miami Heat
Contract: six years, $110 million

We've all been guilty of mocking Chris Bosh at one time or another, but the reality is this: without him, the Miami Heat do not win two NBA championships. Bosh has consistently been the second-most reliable player on the team during their four consecutive Finals trips, and while his individual numbers have slipped since his days in Toronto he has still made four straight All-Star teams and has also become a strong outside shooter. Depending on where he goes this summer, he may even have a chance to make this list twice.

6. Rick Barry

Year: 1972
Old team: New York Nets (ABA)
New team: Golden State Warriors
Contract: undisclosed

Rick Barry's free agency was a unique situation, and involved a court order in order to get it resolved. After jumping from the NBA to the ABA in 1967, he played in the ABA until 1972 when a United States District Court judge issued an injunction preventing Barry from playing for anyone but the Golden State Warriors once his ABA contract ended. He returned to the Warriors as a "free agent," and in his third season back in the NBA led the Warriors to the only title in franchise history.

3. Moses Malone

Year: 1982
Old team: Houston Rockets
New team: Philadelphia 76ers
Contract: six years, $15 million

It's not every day that the MVP of the league is eagerly looking to switch teams, but with Houston in transition after losing in the Finals in 1981 and the first round in 1982, Moses Malone was allowed to explore his options. He signed an offer sheet with the 76ers, but the Rockets unexpectedly matched. A sign-and-trade was eventually worked out between the two teams, and Malone promptly went out and won another MVP award for his new team. This time, though, he also added an NBA title to his haul, and in Philadelphia established himself as one of the greatest big men of all-time.

4. Chauncey Billups

Year: 2002
Old team: Minnesota Timberwolves
New team: Detroit Pistons
Contract: six years, $35 million

After averaging 22 points, five rebounds, and 5.7 assists as an injured Terrell Brandon's replacement during Minnesota's first round playoff loss in 2002, Chauncey Billups could not have positioned himself better for free agency. While the Timberwolves could have brought him back, paired him with Kevin Garnett, and contended for a title, they instead let him go to Detroit on a relatively modest deal. Billups promptly became "Mr. Big Shot," won a ring and a Finals MVP, and Minnesota have yet to return to the playoffs after losing in the 2004 Western Conference Finals.

5. Steve Nash

Year: 2004
Old team: Dallas Mavericks
New team: Phoenix Suns
Contract: six years, $63 million

Steve Nash's history of back trouble is well known, and goes back to his days with the Mavericks. When he hit free agency, the 30-year-old was looking for a long-term deal that would give him some security well into the future. The Mavericks offered him four years (with a partially guaranteed fifth) and the Suns countered with six, and when Nash asked the Mavs if they'd match, owner Mark Cuban declined. Nash soon made Dallas pay, winning MVPs 2005 and 2006 and averaging 78 games per season over the life of the contract.

2. Shaquille O'Neal

Year: 1996
Old team: Orlando Magic
New team: Los Angeles Lakers
Contract: seven years, $121 million

After getting the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995 (where they lost to the Olajuwon Rockets) and the Eastern Conference Finals in 1996 (where they fell to Jordan's Bulls), Shaquille O'Neal decided he had had enough of Florida. O'Neal's impact on the Lakers was immediate, as they won 53 games in 1995-96 and would go on to win three titles with Shaq as their best player (sorry, Kobe). Shaq also won the only MVP of his career in a Laker uniform, averaging a 30-14 for the 67-win NBA champions.

1. LeBron James

Year: 2010
Old team: Cleveland Cavaliers
New team: Miami Heat
Contract: six years, $110 million

LeBron James spent four years with the Miami Heat, winning two MVPs, two NBA titles, and been named an All-Star and First Team All-NBA every year. He's the undisputed best player in the game, and immediately upon joining "Dwyane Wade's team" turned it into his own. A franchise-altering player who redefines your entire organization, brings you two titles, and puts you in the Finals every single year? Even with some bad "Decisions" along the way, that's a best case scenario for any free agent signing.

He's at it again in 2014, too, announcing today that he is returning to Cleveland next season. Will LeBron do enough to be on this list twice? It seems highly likely.