Each NBA team’s best trade in franchise history

Phoenix Suns- Charles Barkley for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry (to PHI) (1992)

Do you think the Phoenix Suns would’ve traded for Charles Barkley in 1992 if team officials knew he would get a television analyst job after he retired and use that platform to roast the team for, among other things, stale popcorn, dirty seats, flat soda, cold nachos with pickles and plenty of available parking? Considering his productivity in Phoenix, they probably would, but this is the same team that made a gorilla their mascot, so who knows.

Before joining Phoenix in 1992, Barkley spent his first seven seasons in Philadelphia terrorizing opponents with his unique blend of athleticism rarely seen in most power forwards at the time. He had great footwork in the post, was a decent passer and spot-up mid-range shooter and was a wrecking ball once he grabbed the rebound and pushed the pace in transition.

But much like plenty of stars before and after him, Barkley grew frustrated with his team’s inability to surround him with adequate talent, so he demanded a trade elsewhere. That elsewhere ended up being the Suns, who parted with Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry to team Barkley up with Dan Majerle and Kevin Johnson.

Barkley’s first year in Phoenix went well enough: all he did was average 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists with a 25.9 PER and .242 WS/48. His performance in 1992-93 won him the MVP award and propelled the Suns to the NBA Finals. I don’t think I need to tell you how that went (here’s a clue: it was the 90s and they were a non-Houston Rockets Western Conference team).