15 People who turned their backs on the Phoenix Suns

6. Goran Dragic

The Dragon was one of the steals of the 2008 NBA Draft. He was not selected until 45th overall, but is ninth in win shares per 48 minutes and value over replacement player (VORP) in his class. Dragic began his career as a backup point guard behind Steve Nash. He was traded to the Rockets in 2011 only to re-sign with the Suns in free agency in 2012.

In his second stint, Dragic fully broke out. He became a starter for the first time in his career and took his game to another level. The Suns narrowly missed the playoffs in 2014 as Dragic averaged 20.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 35.1 minutes per game. He shot over 50 percent from the field and made 40 percent on his threes as he won Most Improved Player and was voted third-team All-NBA.

Dragic looked like he would blossom into a true star in Phoenix, but it never happened. He requested a trade before the 2015 deadline, and the Suns sent him to Miami for Danny Granger and a first-round draft pick. Phoenix brought in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, which had Dragic playing more off the ball. The fit between the three guard just was not there.

The Phoenix Suns organization was a mess during this time, but Goran Dragic requesting a trade after the best season of his career was a gut punch to the organization.