In the 2014 offseason, the Sacramento Kings agreed to a sign and trade with the Phoenix Suns which contained point guard Isaiah Thomas. In this trade, the Kings gave the Suns Thomas while they received back a $7 million trade exception and the rights to Alex Oriakhi, a player who was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft (per ESPN).
This transaction, like seemingly all of the Kings’ roster moves, has backfired in a major and unforeseen way. Now playing in the postseason with the Boston Celtics, Thomas has emerged as an MVP candidate as he has led his team to the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference.