Phoenix Brought Childress Back From Greece
In July 2010, the Suns arranged a sign-and-trade for Josh Childress, who had spent the previous two seasons with Olympiacos after leaving Atlanta. Phoenix sent the Hawks a 2012 second-round selection and created a trade-exception opportunity for the outgoing club. Childress had been an athletic multi-position forward during his first Hawks tenure. The Suns hoped that experience would translate into another productive NBA reserve. Atlanta decided to take future draft compensation rather than retain the rights of a player returning on a new contract.
Childress Didn't Establish a Major Phoenix Role
Childress joined a Suns roster trying to adjust after its own major changes, but his playing time and production did not become an essential part of the next competitive cycle. His earlier Hawks statistics and successful season in Greece were reasons Phoenix considered him, not direct Suns output. The signing involved a substantial new commitment without yielding an equally important role. That gap between expectation and actual receiving-team performance is the primary weakness of Phoenix's side of the transaction.
Atlanta's Pick Eventually Produced Mike Scott
The 2012 second-round choice became No. 43, which Atlanta used on forward Mike Scott. Scott developed into a valuable bench scorer during the Hawks' later playoff seasons, providing a tangible basketball payoff from the sign-and-trade. The trade exception also had roster-management utility, although it was not a player and cannot be counted as guaranteed scoring or defense. Atlanta acquired an inexpensive development path rather than a well-known veteran, and that route produced a contributor who stayed longer than the Suns' Childress experiment.
A Second-Round Success Made the Exchange Work
Phoenix received a recognizable forward with NBA experience but did not obtain the impact it wanted under the new arrangement. Atlanta used the delayed pick to add useful frontcourt scoring and preserved financial flexibility. The trade was not a major star swap, but second-round choices rarely turn into dependable rotation players; Scott's development gave the Hawks unusually good value for surrendering the outgoing rights. That clear receiving-team result supports Atlanta's advantage without pretending the trade exception itself played NBA games.
Final Verdict
Hawks Win. Atlanta earns B for the 2012 second-round pick used on Mike Scott and additional roster flexibility. Phoenix receives D because Josh Childress's return to the NBA delivered less Suns production than anticipated. Scott's later Hawks rotation career gave the draft compensation a concrete payoff that outweighed the incoming veteran's limited Phoenix tenure.