7. Eric Bledsoe
The 6’1 guard was the 18th overall pick in 2010 but was a reserve in his first three seasons before arriving in Phoenix in a three-team trade. Bledsoe got the chance to start and immediately blossomed in the Valley of the Sun. He became a 20-point per-game scorer, and Suns fans sang his praises. They wanted him to get All-Star consideration, despite the team’s struggles.
Things broke down in 2017. The 27-year-old was having his best season where he averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33.0 minutes per game, but the team decided to shut him down in March. They were out of the playoff picture and wanted to improve their lottery odds. Bledsoe became upset and requested a trade after the season.
He played just three more games with the Suns before being dealt to Milwaukee for Greg Monroe and two draft picks, including a first-rounder. Bledsoe never replicated his Phoenix numbers and struggled mightily for the Bucks in three straight playoffs.
Suns fans were still upset that he requested a trade and wanted to move on. Eric Bledsoe blossomed in Phoenix, and supporters wanted to see him lead the franchise back to the playoffs. It never happened before both sides found it best to split up.