Michael Finley’s time in Phoenix was short-lived, anti-climactic, but ultimately very productive for the Suns.
Finley was selected 21st overall in 1995, the pick being a product of the Suns’ trade of Cedric Ceballos to the Los Angeles Lakers the season prior. A Swiss Army Knife player would could play shooting guard, small forward, and even a little power forward in a pinch, Finley’s rookie season was a tremendous surprise, especially when considering where in the first round he was taken, becoming the team’s starting small forward eight games into the year.
Averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 32.8 percent from 3, Finley was poised enough as a rookie to help the Suns make a solid playoff run (even though the team finished 41-41 with Cotton Fitzsimmons back at the helm, they did believe that they had both the talent and the playoff pedigree to go deep into the playoffs), only to have his year end abruptly with a severely sprained ankle in the second half of the regular season finale. Finley never made it back, and Phoenix was bounced in the first round 3-1 at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
Finley healed up and that summer Charles Barkley was traded to the Houston Rockets. The 1996-97 team had tremendous difficulty gelling together initially, leading to an 0-13 start and Fitzsimmons’ final retirement after losing his first 8 games. Then, following a blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, Finley was traded on December 26, to the Dallas Mavericks in a package that brought Phoenix back superstar point guard Jason Kidd.
Finley would spend eight and a half seasons in Dallas, averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 35.7 percent from 3 over his first five full seasons.
In 2005, he signed as a free agent with the Spurs where he spent three and a half seasons, winning a title in 2007, before ending his career with a brief stint with the Boston Celtics.
While Finley’s career extended well beyond his short time with the Suns, he started out as a productive player, one who appeared like a potential core piece for many years to come, but whose move was ultimately necessary for the team to acquire a superstar in Kidd.