Since joining the NBA in 1968, the Phoenix Suns have been home to some of the finest basketball players to ever grace the sport. The Suns are no strangers to success in the NBA, reaching the playoffs 28 times in 35 years until 2010, and 33 times overall.
Surprisingly, the franchise is still waiting for its first-ever NBA Championship, having reached the finals three times in its history (1976, 1993, and 2021). Despite not winning the ultimate prize, the Suns still boast the fifth-best winning percentage in league history, thanks largely to their all-time great players.
While many elite players have donned the Suns’ purple and orange jersey over the years, these are the top five players who have made the most impact on the franchise.
Amar'e Stoudemire
Many fans in Phoenix will label the 2000s era as the Steve Nash era. However, if Nash was Batman, Amar’e Stoudemire was his Robin. Selected 9th overall by the Suns in the 2002 NBA Draft, Stoudemire quickly became a fan favorite, winning the Rookie of the Year award.
He famously scored 38 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2003, the highest points scored by a high school-to-pro player until LeBron James broke the record in 2004.
While the Nash-Stoudemire duo didn’t make the NBA Finals, much less win the Larry O’Brien trophy, many consider them one of the most iconic duos of the 2000s. Some could even argue that Nash wouldn’t have achieved as much individual success without his power-forward partner, who complemented Nash’s passing ability perfectly.
Stoudemire finished his Phoenix Suns career averaging 21.4 points per game on 54.4% shooting, along with 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He also earned five All-Star selections (2005-2010), one first-team All-NBA nod (2007), and three All-NBA second-team selections (2005, 2008, 2010) as a Sun.
Kevin Johnson
The Phoenix Suns made it all the way to the Finals in 1993, and it was partly thanks to having a solid point guard in Kevin Johnson. The 6’1” guard entered the league as the 7th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers and spent a portion of his rookie year in Ohio before being traded to Phoenix, where he spent the remainder of his NBA career.
Johnson was named the NBA Most Improved Player for the 1988-89 season in his first full stint in Arizona, averaging 20.4 points and 12.2 assists in 81 games. The Sacramento native was known for his ability to drive to the basket and score in the paint. He was also the lead facilitator on the Charles Barkley-led team that lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals.
He finished his career with three All-Star selections and five All-NBA honors. He holds the record for most free throws made by a Suns player and ranks second all-time in assists, third in total points scored, and fourth in steals for the franchise.
Devin Booker
Devin Booker is the only active NBA player on this list, yet he has risen to the ranks as one of Phoenix’s best players. His career with the Suns is far from over, and he has the chance to secure the top spot if he can lead the Suns to their first NBA title.
Booker was selected 13th overall by the Suns in the 2015 NBA Draft and has since earned four All-Star selections and two All-NBA nods. He is the franchise’s all-time three-point field goal leader and ranks fourth in scoring and seventh in assists. The former Kentucky guard famously scored 70 points in a loss against the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2017, becoming only the 6th player to achieve this feat in league history. It is also the most points ever scored by a Suns player in a single game.
In 2021, Booker led the Phoenix Suns to their first NBA Finals in 28 years, but they lost 4-2 to the Milwaukee Bucks. With Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal joining him in the Valley, the Suns have a shot at winning their first NBA championship, a feat that could potentially catapult Booker to the top of this list.
As it stands, the Suns are +3000 to win the NBA championship, which makes them far from favorites. Nevertheless, a trio of Booker, Durant, and Beal is hard to underestimate. With the new season drawing closer, Phoenix fans hoping to bet on the Suns can utilize this guide to Arizona sports betting to learn more about how they can place bets in the state.
Charles Barkley
Some would argue that “Sir Charles” Barkley should be the undisputed No. 1, but his short stint in Phoenix is why he is ranked second on this list. Widely considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time, Barkley began his pro career with the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Suns in 1992.
His impact was immediately felt in Phoenix, turning them into immediate title contenders. In his first year as a Sun, he averaged 25.6 points and 12.2 rebounds, claiming MVP honors and also leading the team to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, he couldn’t lead the Suns all the way, as they lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
With Barkley as the Suns’ bus driver, the team was a top-two seed in the Western Conference. He also earned All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections in each of his four years in Phoenix. The Bread Truck finished his Suns career with 23.4 points per game on 50.1% shooting, along with 11.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Steve Nash
Steve Nash takes the top spot here, although it was a tough choice between him and Barkley. While Nash never made the NBA Finals, he won two MVPs to Barkley’s one, and he achieved this feat in back-to-back years. The 6’3” point guard from Santa Clara also spent ten years in Phoenix and produced arguably more memorable moments than the great Chuckster.
Many consider the 2004-2006 Steve Nash-led Suns as one of the best teams to never clinch the Larry O’Brien trophy. He took the Suns to back-to-back Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006, losing out to the Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, respectively. Nash also won the MVP in both years, becoming the only Canadian to this day and the first guard since Magic Johnson to achieve this feat.
Nash holds the records for most assists and highest free throw percentage all-time for the Phoenix Suns.