The Last Dance: The Phoenix Suns almost traded for Dennis Rodman
It seems crazy to think about now, but Dennis Rodman was very close to being traded to the Phoenix Suns way back in 1993.
The NBA trade butterfly effect knows no bounds. It is very possible the Chicago Bulls would not have made their second 3-peat title run because Dennis Rodman was almost traded to the Phoenix Suns. Ok, well, the Bulls would have probably still made the run but they would have had to do it with a different power forward.
It’s true, though. The Phoenix Suns almost had the Worm. Back in 1993, the New York Times reported a trade between the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns was agreed upon that would have sent Rodman to the Suns in exchange for Richard Dumas and other players to be determined. However, Detroit backed out of the deal when it was revealed Dumas was attending an after-care program for substance abuse.
Specifically, it was the John Lucas after-care program which still helps prominent sports figures dealing with substance abuse today.
Dumas, who was coming off an impressive rookie season where he averaged 15.8 points per game and named to the All-Rookie Second Team, ended up getting suspended for the entire 1993-1994 season due to violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, so backing out of the deal was probably the right move for the Pistons.
Dumas played one more less-than-impressive year with the Suns before petering out of the league with the Philadelphia 76ers the following season.
The two sides explored other options because — get this — Phoenix was Rodman’s preferred destination.
Ultimately, however, the Pistons traded Rodman to the San Antonio Spurs and from there he went to the Chicago Bulls where, well, you know.
If Rodman had been traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1993, what would that team have looked like?
How would he have meshed with Charles Barkley? That would have been the best rebounding duo on the planet.
Would Kevin Johnson have been the team leader to keep the Worm in line? Would he have been the missing piece of the puzzle to get the Suns back to the Finals?
dark. Next. 4 best jerseys in Suns history
The world may never know, but looking back nearly 30 years later, it is crazy the Phoenix Suns and Dennis Rodman were a random rookie’s drug use away from being a thing.