NBA History: Top 5 free agency moves since 2010 that altered the narrative of the league
NBA history has been replete with seismic moves that ended up altering the league landscape, resulting in major power shifts. More recently, the NBA has been all about super teams, a trend that was largely started by the 2008 Boston Celtics.
The Miami Heat took that one step further, uniting two of the five best players of their era. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors have enjoyed some staggering success in recent years after successfully implementing the same model.
The Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Lakers are three teams that can certainly claim to be the current-era super teams. But all these teams couldn't have been assembled without some powerful NBA free agency moves.
Five biggest free agency moves in the last decade that changed the NBA landscape
Free agency is one of the most important periods in the NBA calendar for the front offices. That's because teams vie for the best free agents in the market to build the optimum roster.
The Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets are some of the teams that have done extremely well in that regard in the last few years. On that note, here's a look at the five most powerful moves in the last decade:
#5 LeBron James to Cleveland Cavaliers (2014)
Four years after making the 'Decision', LeBron James made a return to his home team, signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency. James was stupendous throughout his second tenure with the Cavaliers, leading the franchise to a championship win against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Yahoo Sources: Cavaliers unload three contracts, clear the way to make max offer to free agent LeBron James. yhoo.it/1jedLbc
James and the Cavs reached four Finals, losing three of them. Nevertheless, LeBron James' move is regarded as one of the most impactful ones of all time. That's because it effectively established his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
#4 Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Brooklyn Nets (2019)
After being strongly linked with the New York Knicks for months, Kyrie Irving decided to join forces at the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. Durant came from the Golden State Warriors after a successful stint with Dub Nation, winning two championships. However, Irving had a forgettable three years with the Boston Celtics.
Brooklyn is making a clean sweep tonight: Brooklyn will sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, league sources tell ESPN.
Durant and Kyrie's decision led to other franchises consolidating their rosters as well. The Nets later also added 2018 NBA MVP James Harden to the mix, essentially forming arguably one of the best teams in NBA history.