Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Top-5 former Suns who were great after trading away

By Steve Miner

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 6: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against the Utah Jazz on February 6, 2015 at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees 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 2015 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 6: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against the Utah Jazz on February 6, 2015 at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees 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 2015 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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#3 – Sam Cassell

11 Nov 1996: Guard Sam Cassell of the Phoenix Suns moves the ball down the court during a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game, 97-79. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
11 Nov 1996: Guard Sam Cassell of the Phoenix Suns moves the ball down the court during a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game, 97-79. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport /

Sam Cassell joined the Suns a couple years after torching them during the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals. He was joined by Robert Horry, one of Suns’ fans most hated players ever, each part of a four-for-one trade with the Houston Rockets and Charles Barkley. Not halfway through his first season the Suns included Cassell in a trade to the Dallas Mavericks for Jason Kidd (we’ll come back to this trade). Sixteen games later, the Mavs traded him to the Nets.

Cassell’s only full season with the Nets was a breakout one, as he averaged a stat line of 19.6 PPG, 8.0 APG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.6 SPG. It’s amazing to me that he didn’t make the All-Star team that year. After an injury caused him to miss much of the 1998-99 season, the Nets traded Cassell to Milwaukee (and fired John Calipari). He would continue to put up excellent numbers throughout his career, particularly for the Bucks and then later for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In both stops, Cassell made deep playoff runs to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. Though he was only selected to one All-Star team, Sam Cassell undoubtedly deserved at least a couple more. He consistently put up great numbers while leading his teams to the playoffs. I’m not going to say whether the trade for Jason Kidd was worth it or not, but the Suns did pass up on at least one future All-Star to acquire a point guard that never led the Suns out of the Semifinals.

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