
ThePhoenix Suns are a professionalbasketball team based inPhoenix, Arizona, United States. They are members of thePacific Division of theWestern Conference in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The Suns began playing in the NBA as anexpansion team in the1968–69 NBA season. In their inaugural season, the Suns posted a win–loss record of 16–66.[1] They participated in the playoffs only once in their first seven seasons.[2]
In the1975–76 season, a rookieAlvan Adams helped the team reach its firstNBA Finals, which they lost to theBoston Celtics 4–2.[3]Charles Barkley andSteve Nash won theMost Valuable Player (MVP) award while playing for the Suns.[4] Barkley led the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals, where they lost to theChicago Bulls.[2] After signing with the Suns in 2004,[5] Nash led the team to three straight division titles,[2] but after reaching the conference finals in 2009–10 the Suns subsequently experienced their worst period of on-court failure, missing the playoffs for ten consecutive seasons until the 2020–21 season (the franchise's previous record playoff drought was five seasons, which happened after the team made the postseason in only their second year of existence during the 1969–70 campaign).
Despite their failures in the 2010s, the Suns franchise has the NBA's eighth-best all-time winning percentage, having won nearly 54% of their contests as of the conclusion of the2022–23 NBA season. In their first forty-three seasons, the Suns made the playoffs 29 times, posted nineteen seasons with fifty or more wins, appeared nine times in the Western Conference finals, and advanced to the NBA Finals three times in1976,1993, and2021.[2] As a result, based on their all-time winning percentage, the Suns are the 2nd-most successful franchise to never win anNBA championship, behind only theUtah Jazz.[6]

| ASG MVP | All-Star Game Most Valuable Player |
| COY | Coach of the Year |
| Finish | Final position in league or division standings |
| GB | Games behind first-place team in division[a] |
| Losses | Number of regular season losses |
| EOY | Executive of the Year |
| JWKC | J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship |
| MVP | Most Valuable Player |
| ROY | Rookie of the Year |
| SIX | Sixth Man of the Year |
| SPOR | Sportmanship Award |
| Wins | Number of regular season wins |
| Win% | Winning percentage |
Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the2023–24 season.
| NBA champions | Conference champions | Division champions | Playoff berth | Play-in berth |
| Season | League | Conference | Finish | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Playoffs | Awards[4] | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–69 | NBA | — | — | Western | 7th | 16 | 66 | .195 | 39 | Johnny Kerr | ||
| 1969–70 | NBA | — | — | Western | 4th | 39 | 43 | .476 | 9 | LostDivision semifinals (Lakers) 4–3[7] | Johnny Kerr Jerry Colangelo | |
| 1970–71 | NBA | Western | 5th | Midwest | 3rd | 48 | 34 | .585 | 18 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | ||
| 1971–72 | NBA | Western | 5th | Midwest | 3rd | 49 | 33 | .598 | 14 | |||
| 1972–73 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 3rd | 38 | 44 | .463 | 22 | Butch van Breda Kolff Jerry Colangelo | ||
| 1973–74 | NBA | Western | 8th | Pacific | 4th | 30 | 52 | .366 | 17 | John MacLeod | ||
| 1974–75 | NBA | Western | 8th | Pacific | 4th | 32 | 50 | .390 | 16 | |||
| 1975–76 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 3rd | 42 | 40 | .512 | 17 | Wonconference semifinals (SuperSonics) 4–2 Wonconference finals (Warriors) 4–3 LostNBA Finals (Celtics) 4–2[8] | Alvan Adams (ROY) Jerry Colangelo (EOY) | |
| 1976–77 | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 5th | 34 | 48 | .415 | 19 | |||
| 1977–78 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 49 | 33 | .598 | 9 | LostFirst round (Bucks) 2–0[9] | Walter Davis (ROY) | |
| 1978–79 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2 | WonFirst round (Trail Blazers) 2–1 Wonconference semifinals (Kings) 4–1 Lostconference finals (SuperSonics) 4–3[10] | ||
| 1979–80 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 3rd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 5 | WonFirst round (Kings) 2–1 Lostconference semifinals (Lakers) 4–1[11] | ||
| 1980–81 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 57 | 25 | .695 | — | Lostconference semifinals (Kings) 4–3[12] | Jerry Colangelo (EOY) | |
| 1981–82 | NBA | Western | 5th | Pacific | 3rd | 46 | 36 | .561 | 11 | WonFirst round (Nuggets) 2–1 Lostconference semifinals (Lakers) 4–0[13] | ||
| 1982–83 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 53 | 29 | .646 | 5 | LostFirst round (Nuggets) 2–1[14] | ||
| 1983–84 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 4th | 41 | 41 | .500 | 13 | WonFirst round (Trail Blazers) 3–2 Wonconference semifinals (Jazz) 4–2 Lostconference finals (Lakers) 4–2[15] | ||
| 1984–85 | NBA | Western | 8th | Pacific | 3rd | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 | LostFirst round (Lakers) 3–0[16] | ||
| 1985–86 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 3rd | 32 | 50 | .390 | 30 | |||
| 1986–87 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 5th | 36 | 46 | .439 | 29 | John MacLeod Dick Van Arsdale | ||
| 1987–88 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 4th | 28 | 54 | .341 | 34 | John Wetzel | ||
| 1988–89 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 | WonFirst round (Nuggets) 3–0 Wonconference semifinals (Warriors) 4–1 Lostconference finals (Lakers) 4–0[17] | Eddie Johnson (SIX) Kevin Johnson (MIP) Cotton Fitzsimmons (COY) Jerry Colangelo (EOY) | Cotton Fitzsimmons |
| 1989–90 | NBA | Western | 5th | Pacific | 3rd | 54 | 28 | .659 | 9 | WonFirst round (Jazz) 3–2 Wonconference semifinals (Lakers) 4–1 Lostconference finals (Trail Blazers) 4–2[18] | ||
| 1990–91 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 3rd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 | LostFirst round (Jazz) 3–1[19] | Kevin Johnson (JWKC) | |
| 1991–92 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 3rd | 53 | 29 | .646 | 4 | WonFirst round (Spurs) 3–0 Lostconference semifinals (Trail Blazers) 4–1[20] | ||
| 1992–93 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 62 | 20 | .756 | — | WonFirst round (Lakers) 3–2 Wonconference semifinals (Spurs) 4–2 Wonconference finals (SuperSonics) 4–3 LostNBA Finals (Bulls) 4–2[21] | Charles Barkley (MVP) Jerry Colangelo (EOY) | Paul Westphal |
| 1993–94 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 56 | 26 | .683 | 7 | WonFirst round (Warriors) 3–0 Lostconference semifinals (Rockets) 4–3[22] | ||
| 1994–95 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Pacific | 1st | 59 | 23 | .720 | — | WonFirst round (Trail Blazers) 3–0 Lostconference semifinals (Rockets) 4–3[23] | ||
| 1995–96 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 4th | 41 | 41 | .500 | 23 | LostFirst round (Spurs) 3–1[24] | Paul Westphal Cotton Fitzsimmons | |
| 1996–97 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 4th | 40 | 42 | .488 | 17 | LostFirst round (SuperSonics) 3–2[25] | Cotton Fitzsimmons Danny Ainge | |
| 1997–98 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 3rd | 56 | 26 | .683 | 5 | LostFirst round (Spurs) 3–1[26] | Danny Manning (SIX) | Danny Ainge |
| 1998–99[b] | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 3rd | 27 | 23 | .540 | 8 | LostFirst round (Trail Blazers) 3–0[27] | ||
| 1999–00 | NBA | Western | 5th | Pacific | 3rd | 53 | 29 | .646 | 14 | WonFirst round (Spurs) 3–1 Lostconference semifinals (Lakers) 4–1[28] | Rodney Rogers (SIX) | Danny Ainge Scott Skiles |
| 2000–01 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 3rd | 51 | 31 | .623 | 5 | LostFirst round (Kings) 3–1[29] | Scott Skiles | |
| 2001–02 | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 6th | 36 | 46 | .439 | 25 | Scott Skiles Frank Johnson | ||
| 2002–03 | NBA | Western | 8th | Pacific | 4th | 44 | 38 | .537 | 15 | LostFirst round (Spurs) 4–2[30] | Amar'e Stoudemire (ROY) | Frank Johnson |
| 2003–04 | NBA | Western | 13th | Pacific | 6th | 29 | 53 | .354 | 27 | Frank Johnson Mike D'Antoni | ||
| 2004–05 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 62 | 20 | .756 | — | WonFirst round (Grizzlies) 4–0 Wonconference semifinals (Mavericks) 4–2 Lostconference finals (Spurs) 4–1[31] | Steve Nash (MVP) Mike D'Antoni (COY) Bryan Colangelo (EOY) | Mike D'Antoni |
| 2005–06 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Pacific | 1st | 54 | 28 | .659 | — | WonFirst round (Lakers) 4–3 Wonconference semifinals (Clippers) 4–3 Lostconference finals (Mavericks) 4–2[32] | Steve Nash (MVP) Boris Diaw (MIP) | |
| 2006–07 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Pacific | 1st | 61 | 21 | .744 | — | WonFirst round (Lakers) 4–1 Lostconference semifinals (Spurs) 4–2[33] | Leandro Barbosa (SIX) Steve Nash (JWKC) | |
| 2007–08 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 2nd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 | LostFirst round (Spurs) 4–1[34] | Grant Hill (SPOR) | |
| 2008–09 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 2nd | 46 | 36 | .561 | 19 | Shaquille O'Neal[d] (ASG MVP) | Terry Porter Alvin Gentry | |
| 2009–10 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3 | WonFirst round (Trail Blazers) 4–2 Wonconference semifinals (Spurs) 4–0 Lostconference finals (Lakers) 4–2[35] | Grant Hill (SPOR) | Alvin Gentry |
| 2010–11 | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 2nd | 40 | 42 | .488 | 17 | |||
| 2011–12[c] | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 3rd | 33 | 33 | .500 | 17 | |||
| 2012–13 | NBA | Western | 15th | Pacific | 5th | 25 | 57 | .305 | 32 | Alvin Gentry Lindsey Hunter | ||
| 2013–14 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 3rd | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9 | Goran Dragić (MIP) | Jeff Hornacek | |
| 2014–15 | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 3rd | 39 | 43 | .476 | 28 | |||
| 2015–16 | NBA | Western | 14th | Pacific | 4th | 23 | 59 | .280 | 50 | Jeff Hornacek Earl Watson | ||
| 2016–17 | NBA | Western | 15th | Pacific | 5th | 24 | 58 | .293 | 43 | Earl Watson | ||
| 2017–18 | NBA | Western | 15th | Pacific | 5th | 21 | 61 | .256 | 37 | Earl Watson Jay Triano | ||
| 2018–19 | NBA | Western | 15th | Pacific | 5th | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38 | Igor Kokoškov | ||
| 2019–20 | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 3rd | 34 | 39 | .466 | 19 | Monty Williams | ||
| 2020–21 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Pacific | 1st | 51 | 21 | .708 | — | WonFirst round (Lakers) 4–2 Wonconference semifinals (Nuggets) 4–0 Wonconference finals (Clippers) 4–2 LostNBA Finals (Bucks) 4–2 | James Jones (EOY) | |
| 2021–22 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 64 | 18 | .780 | — | WonFirst round (Pelicans) 4–2 Lostconference semifinals (Mavericks) 4–3 | Monty Williams (COY) | |
| 2022–23 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 2nd | 45 | 37 | .549 | 3 | WonFirst round (Clippers) 4–1 Lostconference semifinals (Nuggets) 4–2 | ||
| 2023–24 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 2nd | 49 | 33 | .598 | 2 | LostFirst round (Timberwolves) 4–0 | Frank Vogel | |
| 2024–25 | NBA | Western | 11th | Pacific | 5th | 36 | 46 | .439 | 13 | Mike Budenholzer |
| Statistic | Wins | Losses | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season record (1968–present) | 2,465 | 2,142 | .535 |
| Postseason record (1968–present) | 160 | 164 | .494 |
| All-time regular and post-season record (1968–present) | 2,625 | 2,306 | .532 |