The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns have been trade partners 10 times.
In an ongoing series here at Lake Show Life, we are breaking down the best trades that the Los Angeles Lakers have made with every other NBA franchise. Today, we breakdown the best trade that the Lakers have made with the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers and Suns have been trade partners 10 times, which makes Phoenix the Lakers’ most frequent trade partner in franchise history. Phoenix seems to be a bit trade-happy, as they have made more than 10 trades with three other teams and have also made 10 trades with the Washington Wizards.
The most recent trade between the two parties came in July of 2012 in the horrendous Steve Nash trade that ended up bombing and the first trade between the two teams came all the way back in May of 1970, for a different Hall of Fame guard.
That trade ended up working out quite nicely and is the best trade that the Lakers have ever made with the Suns.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ best ever trade with the Phoenix Suns:
This trade was a one-for-one swap and was an absolute robbery by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gail Goodrich was originally a Laker to start his career and spent three seasons in Los Angeles before the Suns selected him in the 1968 expansion draft. Goodrich then spent two seasons in Phoenix, which is when he really started to blossom, before being shipped back to Los Angeles for a big man in Mel Counts.
Counts was not as talented as Goodrich was at the time of the trade and ended up producing far less for the Suns than Goodrich did for the Lakers.
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Goodrich made four consecutive all-star teams with Los Angeles and in that four-year span was putting up really good numbers alongside Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Goodrich averaged 24.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds in those four years while also winning a championship.
Goodrich was a part of the only championship team from the Jerry West-era and he was really good in that year’s playoffs. Goodrich averaged 23.8 points with a 44.5 field goal percentage and an 89.8 free-throw percentage in 15 playoff games.
Goodrich’s number 25 was retired by the Lakers in 1996 after he was finally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of the greatest players in franchise history.
And the Lakers got him for a big man who went on to have one productive season with the Phoenix Suns before declining significantly at just 30 years old.