When a team has a title window, they have every reason to do what they can to take advantage of it while it's open. That's exactly what the Utah Jazz did when they acquired Jeff Hornacek from the Philadelphia 76ers in 1994.
Trading for Hornacek was actually a pretty risky move back then because it cost them Jeff Malone, an excellent scorer who was still in his prime. Hornacek wasn't the scorer Malone was, but he was a better playmaker and more of a pure shooter, making him a better fit in Utah, which raised their ceiling tremendously.
While he wasn't the primary reason the Jazz came within inches of winning the title in the late '90s, he gave that extra oomph that put them in the same breath as Michael Jordan's Bulls. It's debatable, but Hornacek may have been the best third banana Utah ever put next to Karl Malone and John Stockton.
There's a reason why the Jazz retired Hornacek's number shortly after he hung it up in 2000, why trading for him is considered the biggest midseason trade in franchise history, and why Statitudes Justin Kubatko ranked Hornacek No. 5 among the top six February NBA acquisitions ever.
In summation, Kubatko praised Hornacek because pairing him with Stockton "would give the Jazz one of the best backcourts in the NBA for the next six seasons."
In addition, he explained how Hornacek's efficiency as a shooter and abilities as a playmaker paid off big time for the Jazz. These factors contributed to their playoff success, which included the franchise's only two appearances in the NBA Finals. However, to be fair, it didn't end in a title.
It'd be hard to find anyone associated with the Jazz who watched Hornacek in Utah and doesn't think highly of him. However, there's some hilarious irony to this.
Hornacek was involved in one of the worst trades in NBA history not too long before
While Hornacek is a Jazz legend, he's not held in nearly the same regard during his time with the Sixers. In fact, when his time with Philadelphia gets brought up, he's usually mentioned as the main return the Sixers got for Charles Barkley.
In 1992, the Sixers agreed to trade Barkley to the Suns for Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry, and it's regularly considered one of the worst trades in NBA history because, well, it was prime Charles Barkley. It would be ridiculous to insinuate that Hornacek was ever close to the same level as a the 1993 NBA MVP.
The Sixers got much worse from it, which likely contributed to their willingness to trade Hornacek for Malone two years later. None of it was his fault, which makes it all the funnier knowing his esteemed legacy in Utah.
So, while Hornacek was the centerpiece in one of the worst deals ever, he was also the centerpiece in one of the greatest midseason trades ever. It worked out so well for the Jazz that they tried to strike midseason gold again when they had a deal in place to get Derek Harper before he nixed the deal.
Had that trade gone through, Hornacek might be remembered even more highly today because that could have resulted in a title. It points to how while one fanbase can remember a player so highly, another can justifiably think the exact opposite.