After signing LeBron James, the Philadelphia 76ers have signed the NBA’s top free agent for the second time in the last three summers.

This signing has launched the Sixers into the conversation as legitimate championship contenders.

It should come as no surprise, but given everything LeBron was and still is, he is unequivocally the greatest free-agent signing in the franchise’s history. But the Sixers have had some success in free agency before, finding players that tied together eras and some that were eventually used to capitalize on greater visions. Here is a ranking of the top five free-agent signings in Sixers’ history.

Honorable Mention: Julius Erving

Arguably, the greatest Sixer across the length of his tenure in Philadelphia, Dr. J’s case is interesting because his rights were sold to the Sixers for cash considerations. Philadelphia still had to negotiate Erving’s NBA contract to acquire his rights from the Nets.

Erving made the All-Star game in all 11 seasons he spent with the Sixers, as well as five All-NBA First Team awards, an MVP, and won an NBA Championship in 1983, the last time the Sixers hoisted the trophy.

Honorable Mention: Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson was a homegrown, drafted talent by the Sixers, but his return to the team through free agency in 2009 was exciting, though his days of carrying teams to victories were behind him. He would play just 25 games for the Sixers, averaging 13.1 points, but it was a welcome reunion.

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5) JJ Redick

Redick’s time with the Sixers was short, but they were arguably the best two years of his career and his arrival unlocked Philadelphia’s offense. Redick’s lights-out shooting from deep helped to space a floor clogged by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Redick averaged more than 17 points per game across two seasons while shooting over 41% from 3-point range.

4) Robert Covington

Robert Covington became one of the defining role players of the Process era because he embodied Philadelphia’s blue-collar identity. He played a hard-nosed and physical style of basketball and his passion for the game oozed out every time he was on the court. Covington also genuinely embraced playing for the city. He was even named to an All-NBA Defensive First Team in 2018.

Covington started 258 games with the Sixers before being traded to Minnesota in a package for Jimmy Butler, proving worth every investment the Sixers made into him.

3) George McGinnis

McGinnis had a major impact on the Sixers during his three years with the franchise. Averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game with the team, he helped the Sixers reach the NBA Finals in 1977, where they fell to the Portland Trail Blazers. His career in Philadelphia was brief but decorated, being twice named an All-Star while also being named to an All-NBA First and Second Team. He absolutely could have finished one spot higher on this list had he spent more time here.

2) Paul George

Paul George had a very odd two seasons in Philadelphia after his signing was supposed to be the last attempt at salvaging the Process Era. Tyrese Maxey was on the rise, Embiid was one of the best players in the world when healthy, and George’s skillset fit like a glove. Then he suffered two knee hyper-extensions, and Embiid could not stay healthy, and the Sixers missed the playoffs. Then in year two, he was suspended 25 games, and he came back with fresh legs and was a key contributor to dispatching the vaunted Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

George’s time with the Sixers may have been somewhat disappointing, but his exit led to a series of events that returned Philadelphia’s contending hopes. George was traded to the Celtics for Jaylen Brown, a former Finals MVP who recently led the Celtics to the second seed in the Eastern Conference and is six years younger than George. As important as the addition of Brown is, the Sixers also never get into the LeBron sweepstakes, let alone win it, without acquiring Brown.

1) LeBron James

Though he has not yet played a game for the Sixers, LeBron James is unquestionably the biggest free agent signing in team history. The greatest player of his generation, one many argue as the greatest of all time, LeBron chose an organization that had seen far more lows than highs during his playing career, which spans over two decades. He saw enough potential in the team and their current infrastructure to view the Sixers as his best chance to compete for one more championship, perhaps for the last time.

If James helps deliver the Sixers’ first championship since 1983, his place atop this list won’t just be justified, it will likely be untouchable.

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Keywords

LeBron James,

Philadelphia 76ers,

Sixers,

Sixers history,

NBA free agency,

Paul George,

George McGinnis,

Robert Covington,

JJ Redick,

Julius Erving,

Allen Iverson