NBA: Top 5 Free Agency Moves In NBA History

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Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

Honorable Mention – Steve Nash signs the Phoenix Suns (2004)

So many news outlets use the generic increment of five in their lists. “Top Five”, “Top Ten”, “Top 20”… But, quite frankly I think there are only five landmark free agency acquisitions in NBA history.

If you were to look a peg down though, you’d see Steve Nash. “Two-Time” was an extraordinary floor general for the revolutionary Phoenix Suns’ in the mid 2000’s, stealing two NBA MVP’s in the process.

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However, when Nash left the Dallas Mavericks in 2004, he wasn’t exactly the sharp-shooting euphoric passer we’d come to know and love. Instead, he was Dirk Nowitzki’s partner-in-crime, and they couldn’t be anymore similar. Shooters. Domestic imports. Huge Soccer fans. And,they both looked like they belonged on the cover on an NSYNC album instead of the hardwood.

But, after years of disappointment and heartbreak, Steve rejected Dallas’ advances to re-sign him, and returned to the team that originally drafted him. Of course, over the next two years (05 and 06) Nash famously stole back-to-back MVP awards.

The problem is that calling Nash’s move to Phoenix “league-shattering” would be an overstatement. Revisionist history would obviously say otherwise, but no one expected Nash to become an MVP caliber player.

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate what Nash and Dirk could have accomplished together had Nash stayed, though? Sure, it’s possible Nash doesn’t blossom into the legend he ultimately became. But, on the off chance he does, we see the merger of two top 50 players ever on one team. Western conference be damned. Needless to say, Nash wouldn’t have retired ringless.

Now onto the list.

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