It’s always fun to reminisce on the past. It’s extremely more fun when the past stories involve the reigning NBA MVP and a man who once had the richest contract in the history of the New York Knicks.
In 2009, Amar’e Stoudemire was one of the top forwards in the NBA. The super athletic big man was coming towards the end of his deal with the Phoenix Suns and the team was looking to try and get some value back for the star that was all but gone form Phoenix.
During the 2009 NBA Draft, a small point guard out of Davidson sky-rocketed up the NBA mock drafts after two stellar NCAA tournament performances. While there were many reserves about relatively unknown Stephen Curry coming out of the small school, there was some upside to his game.
Little did anyone know at the time, Stephen Curry would become an NBA MVP and possibly the greatest shooter in NBA history. The Suns saw something in the guard and they almost sent Amar’e out of town for the Warriors number seven pick, which now infamously turned out to be Curry.
Following from Paul Coro of the Arizona Central.
The Suns’ belief that Stephen Curry fell to them in a draft-night trade scenario in 2009 was unbeknownst to the Currys.
The Suns believed they had negotiated a deal for Golden State’s No. 7 pick and players in exchange for Amar’e Stoudemire. Their draft room exploded in cheers when Minnesota inexplicably went for point guards Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn with the Nos. 5 and 6 picks.
As it turned out, Golden State nixed the deal once Curry fell to that spot.
“We told Minnesota that Steph didn’t want to go there,” said Dell Curry, the ex-NBA standout who is Stephen’s father and a Hornets television color commentator. “We had no idea that they had agreed to a trade. Obviously, they couldn’t put that out. I remember (then-Suns general manager and now Curry’s Golden State coach) Steve Kerr calling me (the following morning) and saying, ‘Don’t go to the press conference. We have a trade that they reneged on.’ I’m like, ‘That’s between you guys. We’re going wherever they tell us. We can’t not go.’”
Dell said the Currys had reservations even about the Warriors at the time.
The Suns’ scouts considered Curry, a soon-to-be two-time MVP, to have the potential of Steve Nash, a two-time MVP, even then as he came out of Davidson. They did not dare to dream that he would be available at No. 7. The Suns had negotiated the trade, thinking they could possibly get Jordan Hill at No. 7. They wound up passing on point guard Jrue Holiday at No. 14, taking Earl Clark instead, because they thought they had Curry.
