What are the top 5 NBA free agency signings of the 2000s? Taking a closer look

Free agency in the NBA can sometimes swing the balance of power in the league. The right free agents could bolster a team’s playoff aspirations or even turn some into title favorites.

Team executives covet free agents. Unless it’s a sign-and-trade deal, they don’t have to give up assets to acquire a player to boost their respective lineups.

When Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors from free agency in 2017, NBA history changed. The Dubs added two more to their haul, making KD a two-time champ. At the same time, they also deprived LeBron James of golden opportunities to catch up with Michael Jordan’s title collection.

From 2000 to 2010, five free-agent signings helped change the history of teams in the league.

#5, Steve Nash signs with the Phoenix Suns (2004)

Steve Nash was a two-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA team member and helped carry the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals in 2003.

Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban, however, refused to give his star point guard the kind of money he deserved in free agency. The billionaire would later admit that failing to secure “Nashty” was the biggest mistake of his ownership with the Mavs:

"That's my biggest mistake ever. Not even close, my biggest mistake ever. He had been injured the year before and his minutes were declining, and our doctor was like, 'He may have some issues.' And coach [Don Nelson] was like, 'He may have some issues.' So we made him what we thought was a great offer, but then Phoenix came in and just beat that offer."

Dallas went to the 2006 NBA Finals but lost to the Miami Heat after leading 2-0. One has to wonder if the Mavericks could have been a champion earlier if they had retained Steve Nash.

On the other hand, Nash’s presence in Phoenix made the Suns elite title contenders. They just couldn’t get over the hump over the San Antonio Spurs on numerous occasions. Nash led the league in assists five times and the NBA MVP twice in his eight-year stint in Phoenix.

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#4, Chauncey Billups signs with the Detroit Pistons (2002)

The Detroit Pistons after years of first-round exits following their glory years in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, reached the Eastern Conference semis in 2002. They traded Jerry Stackhouse, the main guy that brought them there to the Washington Wizards for Richard Hamilton in the summer of that year.

The move, however, that most analysts consider was the most crucial during that time was the free agency signing of Chauncey Billups. Before he earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot,” the point guard played for four teams in five years.

After jumping from the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, Billups found a home in Detroit. Together with Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Corliss Williamson and Cliff Robinson, the Pistons reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1991.

In 2004, the Pistons replaced coach Rick Carlisle with Larry Brown and traded for Rasheed Wallace. Detroit beat the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.

The Pistons dispatched the Shaq-Kobe Lakers in just five games. Chauncey Billups won NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers broke the O’Neal-Bryant tandem the following season while the Pistons went to five more conference finals.

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#3, Robert Horry signs with the San Antonio Spurs (2003)

The San Antonio Spurs ended the LA Lakers’ three-peat with a 4-2 win in the 2003 Western Conference semis. Tim Duncan and crew went on to win the championship that year.

LA refused to re-sign Robert Horry, which only allowed the Spurs to grab “Big Shot Bob.”

In Game 5 of the 2005 Finals, Horry’s clutch genes came through yet again with a dagger three-pointer against the Detroit Pistons. Duncan won NBA Finals MVP but noted that Horry was a huge difference in the series.

In Game 4 of the 2007 Western Conference semis, Robert Horry’s infamous body check against Steve Nash reverberated around the world. Horry’s controversial move sparked the Suns’ bench, including Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to go after the Spurs' power forward.

Phoenix won that game but the suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw likely cost them Game 5 and the series. San Antonio went on to add another NBA championship after sweeping LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals.

The Robert Horry signing via free agency is consistently overlooked. He was, however, a big part of their 2005 and 2007 championship teams.

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#2, Chris Bosh signs with the Miami Heat (2010)

Chris Bosh was a free agent in 2010 when he agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. He was sent to the Miami Heat for a $16.5 million trade exception and two 2011 first-round picks.

After seven years in Toronto, Bosh left as the franchise leader in points at that time and a five-time All-Star. Bosh would form part of the iconic Miami Heat trio that would become the hottest three-man group in the NBA in the next four years.

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#1, LeBron James signs with the Miami Heat (2010)

Who knows how LeBron James’ career would have turned out had he not made the controversial decision to take his talents to South Beach? “King James” was the biggest name in the 2010 free agency. There was very little movement until the superstar decided where he was going to play.

James teamed up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to lead the Miami Heat to four NBA Finals appearances. Miami won two championships in four consecutive trips to the finals.

The pressure was mounting on LeBron James to win a championship. He wisely used free agency to go to a place that would help him get the monkey off his back.

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