Top-5 former Suns who were great after trading away

#4 – Joe Johnson

The Celtics drafted Joe Johnson with the 10th pick in the 2001 draft. Later that season, the Suns picked him up in a pretty favorable trade. He became part of a promising young core that included Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire. Johnson improved after the Suns traded Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway to the Knicks, culminating in a strong year in 2004-05, Steve Nash’s first year back in town.

Everything seemed to be going great. The Suns had just finished 2005 with the best record in the league and lost in the Western Conference Finals, not helped by a cheap shot that knocked his head off in the Semiinals. With several young stars, Phoenix was ready for another shot. It was the perfect situation for a guy like Joe Johnson.

However, a desire for a larger role and, more importantly, a souring relationship with owner Robert Sarver, drove Johnson to want out. He accepted an offer sheet from the Atlanta Hawks and, as a restricted free agent, asked the Suns not to match it.

It is true that Johnson ultimately wanted out of the Valley. Nevertheless, the Suns could have kept him had they made it a priority. He was a restricted free agent, so they could have matched the Hawks’ offer sheet. Plus, the strained relationship between Johnson and the ownership is really what chased him away. If they had rolled out the red carpet and proven to him how important he was to this team, he likely would have been more amenable to staying.

As it was, though, Phoenix opted to agree to a sign-and-trade instead, bringing in Boris Diaw and two future first-round picks. Joe Johnson would go on to make seven All-Star teams (although they were in a weak Eastern Conference) and led the Hawks to several playoff appearances. Could he have been the missing piece to a Suns’ championship during the Steve Nash era? We’ll never know. He certainly would have helped, though.