Valley of the Suns
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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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#1 – Isaiah Thomas

I’ve already talked about Isaiah Thomas, so I don’t want to dwell on him too much. I’ll just point out that after averaging 20.3 PPG and 6.3 APG while playing in only 46 games for the Suns, and starting just one. He then went on to become a two-time All-Star (so far). He led Boston to two consecutive playoff appearances, the latter of which ended in the Eastern Conference Finals after finishing the season with the best record in the East.

This last season, Thomas finished 3rd in the league with 28.9 PPG. That’s not just because he has more playing time or always gets the ball in his hands, either. He had 30.8 Points Per 36 Minutes last year, way higher than any previous season in his career. He also shot 46.3% from the field and 37.9% from three – both career highs. His Player Efficiency Rating was 26.5 while his Win Shares total was 12.5. Both were top-10 in the league.

Next: Top-10 Greatest Trades in Phoenix Suns History

Essentially, Isaiah Thomas was a volume scorer last year, but he did so very efficiently. If you ever watched him play, you saw how difficult he was to stop. Even if he’s small and not the best distributor, he’s one of the best overall players in the league. Trading him was the worst move Ryan McDonough has ever made.

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