What's going on in the desert?

I can't figure out what's happening out in the executive suites at the US Airways Center. The suits up there recently traded two stalwarts of the Purple Palace. Raja Bell and Boris Diaw were both exiled to Charlotte for the explosive Jason Richardson, a proven scorer who can leap out of the gym. Both sides also sent "end-of-the-bench" guys to the other, with the Suns also receiving a future second round pick.

Bell and Diaw have both been valuable players for the Suns during the "Seven Seconds or Less" era. Both earned their stripes during the 2005-2006 season. Bell himself had three defining moments during the playoffs.

1. Threw Kobe to the ground after suffering several alleged elbows to the face. One of the greatest moments in Suns history. Click here for a photographic reminder.
   
2. Hit a game-tying shot over a defender to send game 5 into a second overtime in Phoenix against the Clippers. This shot evoked one of the loudest cheers I ever heard from Suns fans. Click here for a photographic reminder.
3. Played hurt during game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the heavily favored Mavericks, a game Phoenix desperately needed. The Suns prevailed at home, knotting the series at 2-2.

Diaw also asserted himself as a versatile Mr. Everything during that season, winning the Most Improved Player award. He punished the Mavericks during the Western Conference Finals, including hitting a game-winning shot to steal Game 1 on the road. He can play several different positions, and can defend several different positions.

This trade, at face value, seems to be incredibly defensible, even given the value of the outgoing Suns. However, after examining this trade within the context of the past 10 months leaves me scratching my head. In chronological order:

1. February 2008- The Suns trade unhappy Shawn Marion to the Heat for Shaquille O'Neal. This move is almost universally interpreted as a figurative "easing off the gas" for the Suns.
2. March 2008- The trade is at least partially vindicated, as Shaq debuts and the Suns win a close game over the Spurs, the type of game they almost always lost.
3. April 2008- Phoenix suffers a crushing defeat in game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against S.A. After this game, there is allegedly a confrontation between Mike D'Antoni and Steve Kerr, in which D'Antoni later claimed that a "violation of a trust" occurred. Phoenix was eliminated in 5 games, making hardly a whimper after game 1.
   
4. May 2008- Mike D'Antoni resigns as coach, leaving a position that he appeared to love. It is almost universally believed that his departure signifies a departure of the run-and-gun from the desert.
5. June 2008- Terry Porter is hired as new head coach of the Suns. He is given the charge to make both Amare Stoudemire and the Suns more defensively responsible.
6. December 2008- Bell, the best defender on the team, and Diaw, a versatile defender, are traded for, primarily, an offensive player.

Everything up to the trade indicated that the Suns were becoming more defensive minded and less offensive minded. However, this trade flies in the face of what recent history has told us.

Don't get me wrong, the history for the success of this trade has yet to be written, and I desperately hope that this injects some life into what has been a joyless season thus far for players and fans. Diaw's comments after the trade reflect this joylessness.

"It definitely wasn't as fun," It wasn't as exciting for the fans. It's not as fun for everybody [on the team]. I'll always remember Phoenix with Mike [D'Antoni]. We went from a winning team that was the most exciting team in the league to a half-winning team that wasn't exciting at all."

If Diaw feels this way, it's likely that others feel this same way. Perhaps this trade will shake things up in a good way. However, I wonder if this was a desperation move because it seems to contradict what the Suns have been doing over the past year.