Top-10 Best Trades in Phoenix Suns History

6. Jason Kidd

Charles Barkley had run his way out of Phoenix after four gloriously entertaining seasons and the Suns found themselves in a position they had not been in in a decade – facing a transition period with little star power on the roster.

Phoenix began the 1996-97 season on an 0-13 losing streak, both their worst start and worst losing streak in franchise history, culminating with Head Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons resigning after 8 games handing the reigns to Danny Ainge. When the streak ended, the Suns actually began to right the ship winning eight of their next eleven. However, the team was still on a rudderless ship without a star and on Christmas Day, in front of a nationally televised audience against the Los Angeles Lakers at American West Arena, the Suns were blown out. Even with a 13-game losing streak well behind them, it felt as if they had finally hit rock bottom.

As fortune would have it, Santa Claus was a little late coming to the Valley of the Suns that year as Phoenix finalized a deal with the Dallas Mavericks for third-year budding superstar point guard Jason Kidd, on December 26.

Phoenix Acquired:
Jason Kidd
Tony Dumas
Loren Meyer

Dallas Acquired:
Michael Finley
A.C. Green
Sam Cassell
1998 second-round pick (Greg Buckner)

The trade meant that the Suns would not go long between superstars and transitioned from one who was aging and nearing retirement to another who was yet to even reach the beginning of his prime. With this move Phoenix had a great opportunity to build around the young star, a distributor no-less, who had an unparalleled ability to involve everyone on the court, especially in an uptempo offense that has perpetually been synonymous with the franchise.

To acquire Kidd the Suns gave up 33-year old A.C. Green on the backend of his career with two-years remaining on his contract. Still a defensive stalwart and all-around good man, he was expendable due to his age; Sam Cassell, one of the four players received in the Charles Barkley trade, and the second of three to be traded before the All-Star break that season. Cassell reportedly hated playing in Phoenix and was not happy with the move from Houston, so while he showed the skills to be a solid point guard in the NBA, his attitude made him an ideal candidate to sell high on; and Michael Finley.

Finley was the biggest name the Suns moved in the deal and certainly had the highest upside. Now only his second season, he had played in all 82 games his rookie year and had it not been for an ankle injury in the season’s final game, he may have helped the Suns upset the Spurs in the first round, a series Phoenix eventually lost 3-1.

Jason Kidd had four and a half memorable years that included pairing up with Penny Hardaway to form Backcourt 2000 – a moniker the pair was unfortunately unable to live up to. Tony Dumas played in only six games before becoming part of another memorable trade package, and Loren Meyer played in 54 games that season before his contract expired and he was granted free agency.