'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABf/aAAgBAQAAAABAr//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/2gAIAQIQAAAAS//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/2gAIAQMQAAAAH//EACEQAAIBAgYDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQhAAUGERITIlPS/9oACAEBAAE/AKailqKCszVHfoonijUR8duTN5Wa53AAvYEYh1XlYhQdi2Ue/wCsf//EABkRAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAPBQf/aAAgBAgEBPwBGL2WIeHSMn//EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECABJh/9oACAEDAQE/ACoqrZP/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
At the end of every season in the NBA, a player who has just finished the final year in his existing contract has a huge decision to make. Does he re-sign for the team he originally played for or does he take on a new challenge and jump ship to another franchise? The executives of each team also have a huge part to play in such a decision. Firstly, being able to free enough cap space to sign a star. Next, having the pieces that would fit their new player. then they have the task of convincing the player they are looking at about their vision for him with their existing team.
There have been some huge free agent signings in past and some of these players have gone on to play some of their best basketball after joining his new team and also resulted in the team winning multiple titles. Others haven't worked out as well, but due to the magnitude of the signing, have changed the course of the NBA.
Here is a look at five instances where the team and player involved have benefitted majorly by taking a gamble on each other.
Honourable Mentions:
Gilbert Arenas (Wizards), Dikembe Mutombo (Hawks), Jamal Wilkes (Lakers), Gus Williams (Sonics), Chris Bosh (Heat), Carlos Boozer (Jazz), LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs), Vlade Divac (Kings)
5. Chauncy Billups (Detroit Pistons)
After being taken with the third pick in 1997 Draft by the Boston Celtics, there were big things expected of Chauncey Billups. He failed to live up to expectations in his first five seasons in the league. He had been jumping around the league quite a bit and just didn't seem to fit into any team's system at the time.
After playing with the Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and the Toronto Raptors, he finally flourished in Minnesota but due to salary cap issues, the Wolves were not able to re-sign him in 2002 although he wanted to stay. This ended up being the best thing that could've happened to his young career. He signed a six-year deal with the Detroit Pistons and was named their starting point guard.
He flourished in Detroit by becoming one of the top clutch shooters in the league and also a defensive menace. The defensive trend that he and his teammates set was the key to their success during this period.
Billups was named to his first All-Star team and to two more after that while with the Pistons. Detroit reached the Eastern Conference Finals six years in a row and won an NBA Championship (2004) along the way with Billups being named Finals MVP.
4. Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns)
In 2004, Steve Nash became a free-agent and was looking to sign for his current team, the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks at the time were paying Dirk Nowitzki, Antoine Walker, and Michael Finley almost $50 million combined. Nash, who was thirty at the time, was offered a four-year deal worth nine million annually.
His old team in Phoenix, on the other hand, offered him a six-year, $63 million deal. Nash was still looking to remain in Dallas and went back to meet owner Mark Cuban and see if he could match Phoenix's deal. He didn't and Nash signed for Phoenix.
He went on to be a revolutionary in Phoenix. He along with Shawn Marion and Amar'e Stoudemire played a brand of basketball that had never been seen before. Phoenix coach Mike D'antoni brought out the best in Nash and the rest of the roster.
He reached the Western Conference Finals twice in a row but lost both times.
The highlight though in Nash's career are the two regular season MVP awards he won in 2005 and 2006 in a league that had Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in their prime. In an appearance on David Letterman, Cuban once said: "... you know Steve's a great guy and I love him to death, but why couldn't he play like an MVP for us?"
3. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
LeBron James had four stellar seasons with the Miami Heat leading them to the NBA finals in each of his years at South Beach and also won two consecutive titles there. In 2014 though, the Heat were absolutely demolished by the San Antonio Spurs in five games and handed James his third finals defeat.
Later on, in 2014 James announced that he would not be re-signing with Miami and became a free-agent. On July 11, through Sports Illustrated he announced that he intended to go back to his hometown of Cleveland and sign with the Cavaliers.
Cleveland had acquired star point guard Kyrie Irving through the draft and also held the top pick in the 2014 draft. They used this pick to trade for Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The trio made an instant impact in Cleveland and have reached three consecutive finals. They won a title in 2016 which gave the city of Cleveland its first major sporting title in fifty-two years.
As long as James is still with the Cavs, they will continue to be title contenders. They look set to make their fourth consecutive appearance in the NBA finals and with the caliber of a player like LeBron, who is to say how many titles he will be able to bring to Cleveland.
2. Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
This is probably the most shocking signing in the history of the NBA.
In 2016, Kevin Durant became a free-agent and it didn't surprise many that he decided to leave Oklahoma City. But no one could have foreseen the decision that he was about to take.
The Golden State Warriors were the defending champions and led by the reigning MVP Steph Curry they broke the record for most wins in the regular season (73). But due to quite possibly the greatest finals performance ever by LeBron James along with Kyrie Irving, the Warriors lost a 3-1 lead in the finals and were left speechless.
After the season had ended, people were quite intrigued on where Durant might go and speculation started. Boston and Washington were two names used constantly during that time.
In June 2016, Durant announced that he would be joining the team that knocked him out of the NBA playoffs and join forces with the two-time MVP Curry along with All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
The decision received outrage from NBA fans, experts and former players were left wide-eyed. This was the first time that four All-NBA players had been on the same team. The results were immediate with the Warriors cruising to a championship. They only lost one game in their entire playoff run and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals 4-1. Durant won Finals MVP.
The Warriors are favorites to win the coming edition of the NBA and as long as their four All-Stars stick together, they will be favorites pretty much every year for the foreseeable future.
1.Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
In 1996, Shaquille O'Neal was twenty-four years old and was already set to become one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995 by beating the Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals and was already a three-time All-Star.
O'Neal stated in an interview with Ernie Johnson that he was set to re-sign a four year $80 million deal with the Magic in 1996 when he was selected to play for his country in the Olympics. The deal was nearly done, but when he heard that Alonzo Mourning had just signed for the Miami Heat in a deal worth $115 million, O'Neal demanded $150 million from the Magic.
The Magic were caught off-guard and asked for some time.
In the meanwhile, basketball mastermind Jerry West in Los Angeles made a call to O'Neal at two in the morning stating that the Lakers couldn't give him what he was asking for but came pretty close with $121 million. He also said that he had been scouting a high school kid in the upcoming draft that would be the perfect partner for him in L.A. (Any guesses?).
O'Neal gave Orlando a chance to match the offer but they weren't able to do so. The next day the announcement was made and the rest is history.
