15 People who turned their backs on the Phoenix Suns

3. Jason Kidd

Kidd is one of the best point guards in NBA history, but he is no stranger to controversy. He forced his way out of Dallas after two and a half seasons to begin his career. Kidd was already an All-Star, but things were so bad, that the Mavs traded the 23-year-old to the Suns in a six-player deal.

He took his game to another level in Phoenix. Kidd was a perennial All-Star and All-Defensive candidate who led the league in assists three times. The Suns remained a playoff team after Charles Barkley’s exit thanks to Kidd, but things went sour quickly.

The Hall of Famer has a lengthy list of incidents over the years, but it was a 2001 arrest that caused his exit from the Suns. His team won 53 games and reached the second round of the playoffs in 2000. It looked like Phoenix was on the rise, but they traded Kidd after the 2001 season.

Jason Kidd was in the middle of his prime and led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in each of the next two years. It is a massive what-if for the Suns, but it was the Hall of Famer who turned his back on the franchise.