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#8 What if Joe Johnson never left Phoenix?
The 2004-05 Phoenix Suns had a great regular season, winning 31 of their first 35 games, and finishing it with the best record in the NBA.
This team made it to the Western Conference Finals, in which they lost to eventual champions, San Antonio Spurs. They faced a bright future ahead, but also the restricted free agency of starter Joe Johnson.
Johnson capped off two great seasons and was looking to get a larger role. But that wasn’t the only thing on his mind; he was also looking to get paid.
Phoenix, in his opinion, offered much less than his market value. His disappointment with the team's initial offers drove Johnson to ask Suns front office to not match the Atlanta Hawks' offer of about 70$ million for five years.
Johnson eventually agreed to a sign-and-trade to Atlanta, sending Boris Diaw and two first-round picks to Phoenix. With the Hawks, Johnson had six All-Star appearances and one All-NBA Third Team selection.
If the Suns ownership initially offered Johnson a better contract, they could have kept him alongside All-Stars Nash, Stoudemire and Marion, and have a real chance at an NBA title.
