© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A look back at the Stephon Marbury for Jason Kidd trade
Stephon Marbury blossomed into an All-Star player for the New Jersey Nets. It was his opportunity to shine after being an underrated player with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite Marbury’s star-level performances, the Nets struggled with him as the star. It led to New Jersey looking for answers outside of Marbury, and they got one via trade as they sent Marbury to Phoenix for another point guard, Jason Kidd.
“When I played in New Jersey, everybody got hurt. And then when he got traded for me, everybody got healthy,” Marbury said to Heavy. “Literally, guys were really hurt with real injuries. So I was in a tough spot but at the same time, I didn’t allow that to stop me from going out and hooping.”
The Nets won the trade
In hindsight, the Nets still won the trade. It was a monumental trade for New Jersey because the organization would make the NBA Finals a year later. That was far from Marbury missing the Playoffs during his stint.
Granted, Marbury has a point with injuries to his teammates, but Kidd was more of a better fit for most players. He was a true playmaker who wanted to prioritize making his teammates get better shots. Compare that to Marbury, a score-first guard with some awesome playmaking chops.
On the other hand, the Suns were a Playoff team, but in their lone appearance in 2003, they got beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the postseason. In 2004, he was eventually traded to the New York Knicks, cementing the Suns losing the trade, but it did end up with them getting a new franchise point guard later on in Steve Nash.
The Suns’ success came a bit later
While the Suns never reached the NBA Finals until 2021, their 2000s run was superb. They traded Starbury for Anfernee Hardaway’s contract, which eventually helped get Steve Nash to the team. The Canadian guard quickly became one of the best guards in the league, winning MVP twice and helping the Suns become a legitimate contender.
While Marbury was a good player for both teams, they succeeded when Stephon left the roster. It is unfortunate to have those coincidences because Starbury deserves the love, especially since he had a productive NBA career. However, the trade will keep following him, but in hindsight, it didn’t look too bad.
