2016-17 Record: 24-58 (15th In West) Additions: Josh Jackson (Draft), Davon Reed (Draft), Alec Peters (Draft), Mike James (Free Agency), Alan Williams (Free Agency), Peter Jok (Free Agency- Training camp deal) Subtractions: Leonard Barbosa (Waived), Ronnie Price (Free Agency) [http://www.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/30-nike-suns-2017-18-uniforms.jpg] The Suns have not made it to the post season since 2009-10. This includes two winning seasons. The team members that were a part of this have left. Since then the team have entered rebuilding mode and have some pretty good talent. In their rebuilding, they have acquired future stars in the form of Devin Booker, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have proven to be reliable players. Booker and Bledsoe are the backcourt duo [http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2017/04/13/devin-booker-eric-bledsoe-carry-suns-playoffs/100426170/], with the former showing potential of being a great scorer in the NBA. Booker last season had a 70 point game, and the Suns have him on his rookie scale contract, but know he will be in line for a pay-rise in the coming seasons. THE FOCUS OF THE SUNS. Bledsole, Booker are going to be focal point of the Suns this season.The team have a strong backcourt. But they might be short on depth with Brandon Knight out for the season. He would have been a good 11-12 points of the bench. Davon Reed will miss a few months as he requires surgery as well. The Suns have to quickly integrate Josh Jackson with the rest of the squad. The number 4 pick should add to the scoring prowess. He should add some much needed defensive grit. The Suns last year ranked 9 in scoring, but 30 in opposition points scored. They still have Tyson Chandler on a hefty contract for 2 years, but with rising salary caps, it should be no problem. As a unit, their defense has to get up this year if they want to start winning again. The team’s passing is also at the lower end of the spectrum, ranking 30th in assists last season, at 19.6 a game. [http://www.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/01-josh-jackson-nba-rookie.jpg]Josh Jackson, the 4th Overall Pick of the 2017 Draft and is a future all-star in the making. Tanking will no longer help them as they have sufficient young assets and potential all-stars in Booker and Jackson. As a young team, the main challenge for the suns is to retain their players and ensure they are healthy. The Suns have a tough year ahead of them in a very competitive Western Conference. If they can work on establishing their team dynamics, it could set the team for solid runs from 2018-19, when the free-agency will shake the other team rosters. 

Phoenix Suns, a team that's building up its assets are moving in the right
direction, but is it enough for a competitive Western Conference?

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Established in 1968, the Phoenix Suns competes in the Western Conference as a member of the Pacific Division. In their overall 56 seasons till now, the Suns have made 32 playoff appearances. The franchise has won three conference titles (1976, 1993, and 2021). However, the team always fell short of having the glorious championship ring. With new investments and the newly formed Big Three, the Suns are one of the strongest contenders in the division.?
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Season</td>
<td>Playoff Appearances</td>
<td>Conference Titles</td>
<td>NBA Championships</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1968-2023</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>3 (1976, 1993, 2021)</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Franchise History and Ownership</h2>
The franchise began as an expansion team. The first few years were mired with mediocrity. Suns finished their first year at 16-66, missing the playoffs. Critics doubted the success of Phoenix as an NBA market, but the franchise grew rapidly in the country. Their trip to the NBA finals finally ended in 1976 against Bill Russell?s<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nba/boston-celtics/"> Boston Celtics</a>. The Suns pushed the series to six games. In a buzzer-beating shot, the Celtics ultimately won the championship. After coming this close to the finals, the franchise started to rebuild around Walter Davis and also acquired Kevin Johnson in 1988. With Johnson, the Suns reached the playoffs for thirteen consecutive appearances and remained a title contender throughout the 1990s in the Charles Berkley era.?

<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nba/phoenix-suns/">The Suns</a> made it into the finals again but lost to the<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nba/chicago-bulls/"> Chicago Bulls</a>. Berkley was named the MVP in the 1992?93 season.?

Rankings got slightly better in the playoff games in the 1990s. But front office unrest and Barkley's strained relationship with Jerry Colangelo led to his trade to Houston which also marked a new era in the franchise. The Suns drafted Steve Nash in 1996, but he initially played a supporting role behind Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson. The team could only go far in qualifying for the playoffs.?

&nbsp;
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Player</td>
<td>Position</td>
<td>Induction Year</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Charles Barkley</td>
<td>Forward</td>
<td>2006</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gail Goodrich</td>
<td>Guard</td>
<td>1996</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Connie Hawkins</td>
<td>Forward-Center</td>
<td>1992</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Grant Hill</td>
<td>Forward</td>
<td>2018</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dennis Johnson</td>
<td>Guard</td>
<td>2010</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gus Johnson</td>
<td>Forward-Center</td>
<td>2010</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jason Kidd</td>
<td>Guard</td>
<td>2018</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Steve Nash</td>
<td>Guard</td>
<td>20181</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shaquille O?Neal</td>
<td>Center</td>
<td>2016</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Charlie Scott</td>
<td>Guard-Forward</td>
<td>2018</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Paul Westphal</td>
<td>Guard-Forward</td>
<td>2019</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The Suns had a fantastic 2004-05 season, finishing with the best record in the league and Nash winning the MVP award. In the 2005 playoffs, they made it to the Western Conference finals but lost to the Spurs. The team remained a strong contender. They had a 15-game win streak and a 17-game win streak during the 2006-07 season but again lost in the Conference finals.

In the next season, the franchise finished with a 55-27 record but was eliminated later in the first round.?

&nbsp;

The Suns made the playoffs 10 times during former owner Robert Sarver's 18-year tenure. Ishbia brothers Mat and Justin purchased the majority stakes from Sarver in 2022. The deal is marked as the most expensive in NBA history, at $4 billion. Here is a breakdown of Ownership history, throughout the years.?
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Year</td>
<td>Owner(s)</td>
<td>General Manager</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1968-1972</td>
<td>Richard Bloch and Karl Eller</td>
<td>Jerry Colangelo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1972-1988</td>
<td>Karl Eller</td>
<td>Jerry Colangelo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1988-2004</td>
<td>Jerry Colangelo</td>
<td>Jerry Colangelo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2004-2010</td>
<td>Robert Sarver</td>
<td>Steve Kerr</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2010-2012</td>
<td>Robert Sarver</td>
<td>Lance Blanks</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2012-2018</td>
<td>Robert Sarver</td>
<td>Ryan McDonough</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2018-2022</td>
<td>Robert Sarver</td>
<td>James Jones</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2023-Present</td>
<td>Mat Ishbia</td>
<td>James Jones</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Top-paid players and 2023-24 roster</h2>
Phoenix's roster for the 2023-24 season has many new additions, like<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/bradley-beal/"> Bradley Beal</a> and Jusuf Nurki?. The star-studded roster has the new big three in town and includes Booker, Durant, and Beal as three of the 500 players who are averaging at least 22 points per game.?

<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kevin-durant/">Kevin Durant</a> is not just the highest-paid on the team but also the second-highest-paid this season. His annual salary is $47,649,433.?

Beal is the second richest in the team. He is receiving the max contract worth $251 million that he signed with the Wizards. He is expected to earn more than $150M in his next three seasons. For this season, his base salary is $46,741,590 per year.

<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/devin-booker/">Devin Booker</a> signed a five-year, $158.25 million Supermax contract extension with the Suns in 2018. The contract began in the 2019-20 season, and Booker is currently in the fourth year of the deal. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.?

The newest addition, Nurkic, is a part of the multi-team deal that saw the departure of DeAndre Ayton to the Blazers. Nurkic is in his second-year max a-year extension worth over $70M. His average salary this year would be $17.5 million per year.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Player</td>
<td>Position</td>
<td>Annual Salary</td>
<td>Contract Type</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bradley Beal</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$50,203,930</td>
<td>5 yr $251,019,650 MAX</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Devin Booker</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$55,664,000</td>
<td>4 yr $222,656,000 S-MAX</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kevin Durant</td>
<td>SF</td>
<td>$48,554,830</td>
<td>4 yr $194,219,320 MAX</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jusuf Nurkic</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>$17,500,000</td>
<td>4 yr $70,000,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nassir Little</td>
<td>SF</td>
<td>$7,000,000</td>
<td>4 yr $28,000,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Grayson Allen</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$9,350,000</td>
<td>2 yr $18,700,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Keon Johnson</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$3,129,323</td>
<td>4 yr $12,517,291</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eric Gordon</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$3,276,360</td>
<td>2 yr $6,552,719</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Josh Okogie</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$2,886,336</td>
<td>2 yr $5,772,671</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Damion Lee</td>
<td>SG</td>
<td>$2,686,788</td>
<td>2 yr $5,373,575</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Keita Bates-Diop</td>
<td>SF</td>
<td>$2,500,629</td>
<td>2 yr $5,001,258</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yuta Watanabe</td>
<td>SF</td>
<td>$2,500,629</td>
<td>2 yr $5,001,258</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Drew Eubanks</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>$2,500,629</td>
<td>2 yr $5,001,258</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jordan Goodwin</td>
<td>PG</td>
<td>$1,640,080</td>
<td>3 yr $4,920,240</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ishmail Wainright</td>
<td>SF</td>
<td>$1,201374</td>
<td>2 yr $2.402747</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Chimezie Metu</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>$2.346614</td>
<td>1 yr $2.346614</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bol Bol Bol</td>
<td>PF</td>
<td>$2.165000</td>
<td>1 year, $2.165000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Established in 1968, the Phoenix Suns competes in the Western Conference as a member of the Pacific Division. In their overall 56 seasons till now, the Suns have made 32 playoff appearances. The franchise has won three conference titles (1976, 1993, and 2021). However, the team always fell short of having the glorious championship ring. With new investments and the newly formed Big Three, the Suns are one of the strongest contenders in the division.?  Season Playoff Appearances Conference Titles NBA Championships  1968-2023 32 3 (1976, 1993, 2021) 0  Franchise History and Ownership The franchise began as an expansion team. The first few years were mired with mediocrity. Suns finished their first year at 16-66, missing the playoffs. Critics doubted the success of Phoenix as an NBA market, but the franchise grew rapidly in the country. Their trip to the NBA finals finally ended in 1976 against Bill Russell?s Boston Celtics. The Suns pushed the series to six games. In a buzzer-beating shot, the Celtics ultimately won the championship. After coming this close to the finals, the franchise started to rebuild around Walter Davis and also acquired Kevin Johnson in 1988. With Johnson, the Suns reached the playoffs for thirteen consecutive appearances and remained a title contender throughout the 1990s in the Charles Berkley era.? The Suns made it into the finals again but lost to the Chicago Bulls. Berkley was named the MVP in the 1992?93 season.? Rankings got slightly better in the playoff games in the 1990s. But front office unrest and Barkley&#8217;s strained relationship with Jerry Colangelo led to his trade to Houston which also marked a new era in the franchise. The Suns drafted Steve Nash in 1996, but he initially played a supporting role behind Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson. The team could only go far in qualifying for the playoffs.? &nbsp;  Player Position Induction Year  Charles Barkley Forward 2006  Gail Goodrich Guard 1996  Connie Hawkins Forward-Center 1992  Grant Hill Forward 2018  Dennis Johnson Guard 2010  Gus Johnson Forward-Center 2010  Jason Kidd Guard 2018  Steve Nash Guard 20181  Shaquille O?Neal Center 2016  Charlie Scott Guard-Forward 2018  Paul Westphal Guard-Forward 2019  &nbsp; The Suns had a fantastic 2004-05 season, finishing with the best record in the league and Nash winning the MVP award. In the 2005 playoffs, they made it to the Western Conference finals but lost to the Spurs. The team remained a strong contender. They had a 15-game win streak and a 17-game win streak during the 2006-07 season but again lost in the Conference finals. In the next season, the franchise finished with a 55-27 record but was eliminated later in the first round.? &nbsp; The Suns made the playoffs 10 times during former owner Robert Sarver&#8217;s 18-year tenure. Ishbia brothers Mat and Justin purchased the majority stakes from Sarver in 2022. The deal is marked as the most expensive in NBA history, at $4 billion. Here is a breakdown of Ownership history, throughout the years.?  Year Owner(s) General Manager  1968-1972 Richard Bloch and Karl Eller Jerry Colangelo  1972-1988 Karl Eller Jerry Colangelo  1988-2004 Jerry Colangelo Jerry Colangelo  2004-2010 Robert Sarver Steve Kerr  2010-2012 Robert Sarver Lance Blanks  2012-2018 Robert Sarver Ryan McDonough  2018-2022 Robert Sarver James Jones  2023-Present Mat Ishbia James Jones  Top-paid players and 2023-24 roster Phoenix&#8217;s roster for the 2023-24 season has many new additions, like Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurki?. The star-studded roster has the new big three in town and includes Booker, Durant, and Beal as three of the 500 players who are averaging at least 22 points per game.? Kevin Durant is not just the highest-paid on the team but also the second-highest-paid this season. His annual salary is $47,649,433.? Beal is the second richest in the team. He is receiving the max contract worth $251 million that he signed with the Wizards. He is expected to earn more than $150M in his next three seasons. For this season, his base salary is $46,741,590 per year. Devin Booker signed a five-year, $158.25 million Supermax contract extension with the Suns in 2018. The contract began in the 2019-20 season, and Booker is currently in the fourth year of the deal. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.? The newest addition, Nurkic, is a part of the multi-team deal that saw the departure of DeAndre Ayton to the Blazers. Nurkic is in his second-year max a-year extension worth over $70M. His average salary this year would be $17.5 million per year.  Player Position Annual Salary Contract Type  Bradley Beal SG $50,203,930 5 yr $251,019,650 MAX  Devin Booker SG $55,664,000 4 yr $222,656,000 S-MAX  Kevin Durant SF $48,554,830 4 yr $194,219,320 MAX  Jusuf Nurkic C $17,500,000 4 yr $70,000,000  Nassir Little SF $7,000,000 4 yr $28,000,000  Grayson Allen SG $9,350,000 2 yr $18,700,000  Keon Johnson SG $3,129,323 4 yr $12,517,291  Eric Gordon SG $3,276,360 2 yr $6,552,719  Josh Okogie SG $2,886,336 2 yr $5,772,671  Damion Lee SG $2,686,788 2 yr $5,373,575  Keita Bates-Diop SF $2,500,629 2 yr $5,001,258  Yuta Watanabe SF $2,500,629 2 yr $5,001,258  Drew Eubanks C $2,500,629 2 yr $5,001,258  Jordan Goodwin PG $1,640,080 3 yr $4,920,240  Ishmail Wainright SF $1,201374 2 yr $2.402747  Chimezie Metu C $2.346614 1 yr $2.346614  Bol Bol Bol PF $2.165000 1 year, $2.165000  &nbsp;