Top 10 Summer Signings in Sports History

Big summer signings have the potential to take your favorite sports team to the next level! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Offseason Signings in Sports History.

For this list we’ll be looking at some of the biggest names in sports and their moves from one team to another. While Kylian Mbappé signing with PSG was a huge move in the world of soccer, he wasn’t included on this list because he played with PSG on loan at first, meaning he didn’t fully sign with the team initially.

Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning remains one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL; however, a career-threatening neck injury placed him in a precarious situation in 2011. Without having Manning to start, the Colts had a disastrous season, and opted to use their number one pick to draft another quarterback, Andrew Luck. The Colts released Manning, and he eventually signed with the Denver Broncos, turning them into an AFC powerhouse. During this time he led the organization to two Super Bowl appearances including a title in 2015, all while breaking several records.

Phoenix Suns

The return of Steve Nash to his first NBA team, the Phoenix Suns, in 2004 resulted in one of the most radical transformations of a team in sports history. Having only won 29 games the season before, Nash led the Suns to an astonishing 62-20 the following season. Coach Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun style offense combined with Nash’s passing vision, skill, and high basketball IQ made the Suns one of the most entertaining teams to watch during this time, and led to back-to back league MVP’s for Nash.

New Orleans Saints

Similarly to Peyton Manning, Drew Brees suffered a shoulder injury that ultimately displaced him as the face of the franchise. San Diego decided to draft Philip Rivers and groom this young quarterback for the spotlight. Meanwhile, Brees signed with New Orleans in free agency and turned the Saints into one of most dominant offenses in the NFL. Brees continues to serve as the fuel for the Saints' offense, with more than 400 touchdown passes in his twelve years with the team, and a Super Bowl victory in 2010.

Toronto Maple Leafs

In the summer of 2018, John Tavares fulfilled his dream of playing hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tavares had spent the previous nine seasons of his career with the New York Islanders, where he served as a lethal goal scorer, crisp passer, and eventually team captain. During this time he led the Islanders to their first playoff appearance since 2007, and was named an NHL All-Star as well as a finalist for NHL MVP. The Maple Leafs have high hopes for Tavares, and his addition to the squad will serve to push the Maple Leafs towards a contending position in the NHL.

Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to sign with Juventus after nine seasons of playing for Real Madrid. During this time, he secured the spot of all-time leading scorer for Real Madrid, and led the team to four Champions League-winning seasons. Ronaldo is perhaps one of the most recognizable names in soccer, which is sure to bring a boost in revenue for the club. However, even at 33, Ronaldo remains a deadly striker who uses his speed to accelerate past defenders and touch score finesse goals.

Los Angeles Lakers

Shaquille O’Neal signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 proved to be a massive success for both parties, as Shaq led the franchise into a new era of “Showtime Lakers”. During this time Shaq performed much as he did in Orlando, dominating the paint alongside teammate Kobe Bryant and leading the Lakers to three consecutive championships while racking up a league MVP for himself in the process. Ultimately, Shaq’s stint with the Lakers would solidify his place as one of the greatest and most dominant big men of all time.

San Francisco Giants

After a seven-year stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates paid few dividends, slugger Barry Bonds decided to sign with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. A six year, $43.75 million dollar deal turned Barry Bonds into a home run hitting machine, as he beat Mark McGwire’s single season home run record of 70 with 73 himself, and remained in the upper echelon of players by accruing more walks than anyone in history, as well as maintaining an insane slugging percentage and high batting average. He also racked up five MVP’s during this time, as well as an appearance in the World Series.

Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors shocked the sports world to the core. Rumors of Durant signing with the club were met with a flurry of “yeah rights” during the offseason, but indeed, Kevin Durant made his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in favor of the reigning NBA champions. Durant was immediately spurned for this decision, but this didn’t affect his game in the slightest, as he led the Warriors to two straight championships with the help of Stephen Curry and a stacked Warriors lineup. Golden State further added to their roster in 2018 with the signing of DeMarcus Cousins, so it’s looking like the Warriors will continue to shine well-into the future.

Paris Saint-Germain

In 2017, Neymar moved from Barcelona to PSG in what is currently the most expensive transfer of all time in the sport of soccer. In fact, this was such a massive transfer that officials investigated whether or not there was any financial foul play involved. Either way, the Brazilian striker has always been a key part of the teams he has played on, and his transfer to PSG is no different. The superstar carries a host of playmaking skills, including vision, passing, and finishing, and these traits have resulted in comparisons to fellow Brazilian player Ronaldinho. All in all, Neymar will continue to draw large crowds during his tenure with PSG.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.

Charles Woodson
Green Bay Packers

Brett Hull
Dallas Stars

Miami Heat

There are few players in the history of sports that maintain as much attention and news coverage, as LeBron James. The superstar was drafted by the Cavaliers straight out of high school, and maintained a heroic image until his infamous decision in 2010 to leave Cleveland and join the Miami Heat. James and the Heat would dominate the Eastern Conference over the next four seasons as they went on to win two finals. LeBron also took home two league MVPs and finals MVPs during that time. While any signing involving James is a big one, this one had a bigger impact on the NBA as a whole, which is why we picked it over his signings with the Cavs and Lakers.