The Suns have reached three NBA Finals since 1968 and won none of them, a fact that still hangs over this retooled roster under new coach Jordan Ott. They host Utah on October 16, a team Phoenix also beat on this same date back in 1980.
An expansion beginning. Phoenix joined the NBA in 1968 as an expansion team alongside Milwaukee, with Karl Eller's ownership group paying a $2 million entry fee. The Arizona Republic's name-the-team contest produced "Suns." Jerry Colangelo, 28, was the first general manager, and the club went 16-66 in its debut season.
Three Finals, no ring. Dick Van Arsdale and Paul Westphal reached the 1976 Finals, where Garfield Heard's buzzer-beater forced a third overtime in Game 5 before Boston won in six. Charles Barkley's 1993 run and Chris Paul's 2021 trip, lost to Milwaukee in six, left the same result: Phoenix still has no title.
Richest extension in franchise colors. Barkley and Nash are the only two Suns to win MVP. Devin Booker now holds a different kind of record: his two-year, $145 million maximum extension through 2029-30 is the highest annual extension salary in NBA history, making him the financial centerpiece of whatever comes next in Phoenix.
New voices running it. Jordan Ott takes over as head coach for 2026-27 after Mat Ishbia fired Mike Budenholzer, with Brian Gregory replacing James Jones as general manager. It is the kind of reset the Suns have made before, from the Kevin Johnson trade in 1988 to the Barkley deal in 1992.
Same opponent, decades apart. On this date in 1980, the Suns beat Utah 107-93 on the road. They host the Jazz again on October 16, this time in preseason, with Will Hardy's club coming off a 22-60 season and a minus-8.2 net rating last year.
The pieces that came back. The current roster traces to the July 6, 2025 trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston and returned Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the draft rights to Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea and a 2026 second-round pick. Mark Williams arrived from Charlotte in a separate deal days later.
A voice through all of it. Al McCoy, hired in 1972, called all three Finals runs and remains the longest-tenured broadcaster in NBA history. Thirteen Hall of Famers have worn a Suns uniform across those decades, a list the current roster is still trying to add to.
Have the Suns ever won an NBA championship?
No. Phoenix has reached the Finals three times, in 1976, 1993 and 2021, and lost all three.
Who is the Suns' head coach for 2026-27?
Jordan Ott, who took over after Mat Ishbia fired Mike Budenholzer and replaced general manager James Jones with Brian Gregory.
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