NBA offseason brings a lot of exciting news. Fans closely follow free agency and also have fun with the trade tracker. This window brings a ton of anticipation as many wonder which big-name player will end up where. Will a particular re-sign with the team or move elsewhere? However, this period can bring a lot of pain to some players themselves. 

One of those players revealed the anxiety of getting traded. He really had a great time with the Phoenix Suns.

The Phoenix Suns re-tool and send a Guard to the Spurs

Last season the Phoenix Suns developed a different strategy despite some great rewards in the recent seasons. In 2020, they made the Finals. In 2021-22, the team had the best record but lost to the Mavs in Western Conference Semis. Last season, the team looked like a shadow of itself right until the trade deadline.

This is when the management pulled the plug. They shipped off Mikal Bridges, one of the best two-way players alongside impressive young shooter Cam Johnson to get Kevin Durant. 

Ever since then, the team has been parting with the core that made an impressive run. Chris Paul who was the purveyor of the change in 2021, also saw a change in his jersey. Parting ways with him, the team brought Bradley Beal and followed the “Big Three” model. 

The team parted ways with another player who helped them to be consistent. In July, they traded Cameron Payne, who played backup to CP-3 last season but then stepped up as a starter when both Paul and Devin Booker were out for many games.  

The Guard signed a three-year $19 million contract in 2021, which is a huge bargain for his value in the current market. However, the team didn’t see it fit to extend a player who was scoring 10+ points a game when CP-3 and Book were out.

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The reaction of the Guard to the trade suggests that he isn’t that happy with the move.

Payne’s Pain

The Guard took to his IG Live and revealed the agony of not being with the Phoenix Suns. In a video posted by Clutch Points, he said, “Man, I love Phoenix, bro, I miss Phoenix already. I wish I was in Phoenix. They tryna win the chip and I respect it. I feel like they could’ve won a chip with me tho.”

It’s clear that the Guard wanted to stay in Phoenix. The Suns lack cap space after the Beal move and wanted to empty a roster spot for Payne and balance the budget. He played a crucial role in four seasons, but now he has to play for a Spurs team that is not likely to make the Playoffs. But he will also get a firsthand look at Victor Wembanyama.

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Do you think Payne deserved to stay in Phoenix? Do share in the comments below.