Valley of the Suns
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Top-ten worst trades in Phoenix Suns history

By Adam Maynes

SACRAMENTO, CA - 1996: Jon Hot Rod Williams
SACRAMENTO, CA - 1996: Jon Hot Rod Williams /
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1. Gail Goodrich for Mel Counts

MILWAUKEE – 1970: Gail Goodrich #25 of the Phoenix Suns goes up for a shot against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1970 season at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1970 NBAE (Photo by Vernon Biever/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – 1970: Gail Goodrich #25 of the Phoenix Suns goes up for a shot against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1970 season at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1970 NBAE (Photo by Vernon Biever/NBAE via Getty Images) /

To find the worst trade in franchise history we (fortunately) have to go way back to 1970.

For two years Gail Goodrich was an outstanding point guard beginning with the inaugural Phoenix Suns team in 1968-69 sharing the backcourt with Dick Van Arsdale, the ‘Original’ Sun, and current Ring of Honor member. Goodrich averaged 21.9p/4.8r/6.9a with the Suns and after the team’s awful first season helped lead the Suns to the playoffs to a near Semifinals upset of the Los Angeles Lakers.

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The problem is, most of his eventual Hall of Fame career happened while he was with  the Los Angeles Lakers after Suns General Manager Jerry Colangelo traded him for Mel Counts – Colangelo’s first attempt at finding a good center to stand up to the other great centers in the league.

In 1970 Counts was a serviceable center though had only averaged 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds for his career, coming off of three straight near double-double seasons. Certainly no Wilt Chamberlain, but worse off, no Goodrich.

In two seasons with the Suns, Counts averaged a paltry 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds. Never a star and hardly the kind of player and low-post difference-maker Colangelo was hoping to acquire, the trade backfired entirely on the Suns.

In his first five seasons with the Lakers following the trade, Goodrich averaged 23.1p/4.9a/3.3r/1.5s, winning a Championship in 1972, while making the All-Star team four times, including three as a starter.

Next: The top-ten greatest trades in Phoenix Suns history

No other player or draft picks were moved in either direction in this trade and is thus the only one-for-one trade on this list. So not only were the Suns absolutely robbed by trading a future Hall of Famer, it is made worse in the knowledge of who it was that did the robbing.

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