# 1996–97 Phoenix Suns season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 29th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. This season is notable for the Suns drafting Steve Nash out of Santa Clara University with the fifteenth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team acquired Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant and Chucky Brown from the Houston Rockets, and signed free agent Rex Chapman. However, the Suns struggled losing their first 13 games of the regular season, as Kevin Johnson missed the first eleven games due to a hernia injury. After an 0–8 start, head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons resigned and was replaced by former Suns guard Danny Ainge.
Along the way, there were many in-season moves such as trading Cassell, second-year star Michael Finley and A.C. Green, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for All-Star guard Jason Kidd, second-year center Loren Meyer and Tony Dumas, sending Horry along with Joe Kleine to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for former Suns forward Cedric Ceballos and Rumeal Robinson, who was released to free agency after a short stint with the team, and trading Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Darrin Hancock, who never played for the Suns and was released to free agency. It was a season that would not be matched in terms of moves until both the 2014–15 and the 2015–16 seasons came and went.
The Suns held a 17–31 record at the All-Star break, but played above .500 for the remainder of the season, as the team posted an 11-game winning streak between March and April. The Suns finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 40–42 record. This team would also be the first, and only NBA team to start out the regular season with a 10+ losing streak, yet make it to the playoffs by the end of the season; not only that, but they would also be the first team to record a 10+ game winning streak, after recording a 10+ game losing streak earlier in the season.
Johnson led the Suns with 20.1 points, 9.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while Chapman averaged 13.8 points per game, and sixth man Danny Manning provided the team with 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game off the bench. In addition, Wesley Person contributed 13.5 points per game, and led the team with 171 three-point field goals, while Bryant provided with 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, but only played just 41 games due to an abdominal strain injury, and Hot Rod Williams averaged 8.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Johnson finished tied in seventeenth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Manning finished tied in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and Ainge finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting.
As the #7 seed in the Western Conference, the Suns faced the 2nd-seeded Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, taking a 2–1 series lead, but then losing 2–3 in a closely contested series. Following the season, Person was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade, and Wayman Tisdale retired.

## Offseason
### NBA draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 15 | Steve Nash | Guard | Canada | Santa Clara |
| 2 | 39 | Russ Millard | Forward | United States | Iowa |
| 2 | 43 | Ben Davis | Forward | United States | Arizona |
The Suns used their first-round pick to select point guard Steve Nash from Santa Clara. Nash averaged 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in four years with the Broncos. On July 24, the Suns signed Nash to a three-year rookie contract for $3.2 million. He would spend his first two seasons with the Suns playing a limited role behind All-Star guards Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd, before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998. Nash would later return to the franchise as a free agent in 2004, winning consecutive MVP awards in 2005 and 2006 and ultimately making it to the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor on October 30, 2015.
The Suns received the 39th pick from a trade with the Detroit Pistons in 1994. With the pick they would select power forward Russ Millard from Iowa. Millard averaged 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in four years with the Hawkeyes. Millard would sign with Italian club Pallacanestro Varese before the season and would never play in the NBA.
The Suns used their second-round pick to select power forward Ben Davis from Arizona. Davis averaged 12.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in two years with the Wildcats. On September 25, the Suns signed Davis to a one-year rookie contract for $220,000. Davis spent much of the year on the injured reserve with a finger injury. He would appear in 20 games, average 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 4.9 minutes a game. Davis would sign as a free agent with the New York Knicks after the season. He would later return to the Suns shortly in the 1999–2000 season, appearing in just five games before being waived.

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Seattle SuperSonics | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 31–10 | 26–15 | 16–8 |
| x-Los Angeles Lakers | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1 | 31–10 | 25–16 | 18–6 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 8 | 29–12 | 20–21 | 15–9 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 40 | 42 | .488 | 17 | 25–16 | 15–26 | 13–11 |
| x-Los Angeles Clippers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21 | 21–20 | 15–26 | 10–14 |
| Sacramento Kings | 34 | 48 | .415 | 23 | 22–19 | 12–29 | 8–16 |
| Golden State Warriors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 27 | 18–23 | 12–29 | 4–20 |
1996–97 NBA West standings :
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Utah Jazz | 64 | 18 | .780 | – |
| 2 | y-Seattle SuperSonics | 57 | 25 | .695 | 7 |
| 3 | x-Houston Rockets | 57 | 25 | .695 | 7 |
| 4 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 56 | 26 | .683 | 8 |
| 5 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 15 |
| 6 | x-Minnesota Timberwolves | 40 | 42 | .488 | 24 |
| 7 | x-Phoenix Suns | 40 | 42 | .488 | 24 |
| 8 | x-Los Angeles Clippers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 28 |
| 9 | Sacramento Kings | 34 | 48 | .415 | 30 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 34 |
| 11 | Dallas Mavericks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 40 |
| 12 | Denver Nuggets | 21 | 61 | .256 | 43 |
| 13 | San Antonio Spurs | 20 | 62 | .244 | 44 |
| 14 | Vancouver Grizzlies | 14 | 68 | .171 | 50 |

### Record vs. opponents

1996-97 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIA | MIL | MIN | NJN | NYK | ORL | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | TOR | UTA | VAN | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 |
| Boston | 1–3 | — | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 |
| Charlotte | 3–1 | 4–0 | — | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Chicago | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | — | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 |
| Cleveland | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | — | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | — | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–2 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Indiana | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | — | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 |
| L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–0 |
| Miami | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Milwaukee | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | — | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| Minnesota | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| New Jersey | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| New York | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 |
| Orlando | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | — | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Philadelphia | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–2 |
| Sacramento | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 4–0 | 0–2 |
| San Antonio | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | — | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–0 |
| Toronto | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Utah | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | — | 4–0 | 2–0 |
| Vancouver | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–4 | — | 1–1 |
| Washington | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |

## Playoffs

The Suns came into the playoffs as the seventh seed, facing the 1996 Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics in the first round. In game one, Rex Chapman set a playoff record with 9 three-pointers, finishing the game with 42 points and leading the Suns to a 106–101 upset in Seattle. The Sonics responded with a 44-point blowout in game two, evening the series 1–1.
The Suns recovered at home in game three. After an early 15-point deficit, Wesley Person led the team to a comeback 110–103 victory with 29 points and 10 rebounds. The Suns had a chance to close the series at home in game four. Behind by eleven points in the final two minutes of regulation, the Suns cut to lead to two before fouling Detlef Schrempf with 5.4 seconds remaining. Schrempf would miss the second of two free throws, giving the Sonics a 107–104 lead. Rex Chapman would respond with a famous turnaround three-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Sonics would outscore the Suns 15–8 in extra time to gain a 122–115 victory.
The Suns would head back to Seattle tied 2–2 for a deciding fifth game. The Suns turned to small ball, starting four guards (Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Rex Chapman and Wesley Person) along with center Hot Rod Williams. The Sonics would dominate the first half, leading by 22 at the break. A third quarter rally would bring the lead to eight, and a Wesley Person three-pointer to open the fourth quarter brought the lead to just five. But the Sonics would go on a 19–7 run in the final six minutes to claim a 116–92 victory.

### Game log

1997 playoff game log :
First Round: 2–3 (home: 1–1; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 25
@ Seattle
W 106–101
Rex Chapman (42)
Kevin Johnson (7)
Jason Kidd (10)
KeyArena 17,072
1–0
2
April 27
@ Seattle
L 78–122
Rex Chapman (18)
Wesley Person (10)
Jason Kidd (8)
KeyArena 17,072
1–1
3
April 29
Seattle
W 110–103
Wesley Person (29)
Wesley Person (10)
Jason Kidd (10)
America West Arena 19,023
2–1
4
May 1
Seattle
L 115–122 (OT)
Johnson, Kidd (23)
Danny Manning (10)
Jason Kidd (14)
America West Arena 19,023
2–2
5
May 3
@ Seattle
L 92–116
Wesley Person (26)
Kidd, Person (8)
Jason Kidd (7)
KeyArena 17,072
2–3 :
1997 schedule :

## Awards and honors
### Week/Month

* Kevin Johnson was named Player of the Week for games played March 24 through March 30.
* Kevin Johnson was named Player of the Month for April.

### All-Star

* This was only the third season in franchise history that the Suns were not represented in the All-Star Game, after the 1986 and 1988 seasons.
* Steve Nash was selected to compete for the Western Conference in the Rookie Challenge.

### Season

* Kevin Johnson finished 17th in MVP voting.
* Danny Manning finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

## Injuries/Missed games

* 10/31/96: Kevin Johnson: Abdominal hernia; placed on injured reserve until November 24
* 10/31/96: Mark Bryant: Torn knee cartilage; placed on injured reserve until December 6
* 10/31/96: Hot Rod Williams: Toe surgery; placed on injured list until November 26
* 11/14/96: Sam Cassell: Flu; did not play
* 11/23/96: Wayman Tisdale: Shoulder tendinitis; placed on injured list until December 30
* 11/26/96: Ben Davis: Finger ligament damage; placed on injured reserve until January 12
* 11/26/96: Sam Cassell: Personal reasons; did not play
* 11/27/96: Sam Cassell: Personal reasons; did not play
* 11/29/96: Sam Cassell: Personal reasons; did not play
* 12/06/96: Darrin Hancock: Bilateral knee bruises; placed on injured reserve until waived on December 10
* 12/21/96: Joe Kleine: Back spasms; did not play
* 12/28/96: Kevin Johnson: Flu; did not play
* 12/30/96: Tony Dumas: Injured finger; did not play
* 12/30/96: Jason Kidd: Collarbone hairline fracture; placed on injured list until December 14
* 01/06/97: Robert Horry: Two-game team suspension (threw towel at coach Danny Ainge); out until traded on January 10
* 01/10/97: Rex Chapman: Sprained ankle; did not play
* 01/12/97: Tony Dumas: Bruised knee; placed on injured list until April 20
* 01/13/97: Mark Bryant: Abdominal strain; did not play
* 01/13/97: Rex Chapman: Sprained ankle; did not play
* 01/14/97: Mark Bryant: Abdominal strain; did not play
* 01/14/97: Rex Chapman: Sprained ankle; did not play
* 01/18/97: Mark Bryant: Abdominal strain; did not play
* 01/29/97: Rex Chapman: Fractured finger; placed on injured reserve until March 2
* 02/11/97: Hot Rod Williams: Flu; did not play
* 02/26/97: Danny Manning: Sore leg; did not play
* 03/02/97: Ben Davis: Injured finger; placed on injured reserve until March 13
* 03/09/97: Mark Bryant: Bruised foot; did not play
* 03/11/97: Mark Bryant: Bruised foot; did not play
* 03/13/97: Mark Bryant: Bruised foot; did not play
* 03/13/97: Loren Meyer: Strained lower back; placed on injured list until March 25
* 03/17/97: Mark Bryant: Bruised foot; placed on injured reserve until April 20
* 03/22/97: Cedric Ceballos: Bruised knee; did not play
* 03/26/97: Cedric Ceballos: Bruised knee; did not play
* 03/28/97: Cedric Ceballos: Bruised knee; did not play
* 03/28/97: Wayman Tisdale: Personal reasons; did not play
* 03/30/97: Wayman Tisdale: Personal reasons; did not play
* 04/02/97: Wayman Tisdale: Personal reasons; did not play
* 04/05/97: Ben Davis: Injured finger; placed on injured reserve until April 20
* 04/15/97: Wesley Person: Flu; did not play
* 04/18/97: Wesley Person: Flu; did not play
* 04/19/97: Danny Manning: Injured foot; did not play

## Player statistics
### Season

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Dexter Boney | 8 | 0 | 6.0 | .316 | .167 | .750 | 0.8 | 0.0 | .3 | .1 | 2.4 |
| Chucky Brown* | 10 | 0 | 8.3 | .500 | . | .727 | 1.6 | 0.4 | .0 | .02 | 3.4 |
| Mike Brown | 6 | 1 | 13.8 | .417 | . | .600 | 4.2 | 0.8 | .2 | .3 | 2.7 |
| Mark Bryant | 41 | 18 | 24.8 | .553† | . | .704 | 5.2 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 9.3 |
| Sam Cassell* | 22 | 9 | 24.5 | .415 | .306 | .855# | 2.3 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .3 | 14.8 |
| Cedric Ceballos* | 42 | 32 | 27.3 | .464 | .259 | .737 | 6.6 | 1.2 | .7 | .4 | 15.3 |
| Rex Chapman | 65 | 33 | 28.2 | .443 | .350 | .832 | 2.8 | 2.8 | .8 | .1 | 13.8 |
| Ben Davis | 20 | 0 | 4.9 | .385 | . | .450 | 1.4 | 0.0 | .2 | .1 | 1.5 |
| Tony Dumas* | 6 | 1 | 8.5 | .316 | .250 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.5 | .0 | .2 | 2.3 |
| Michael Finley* | 27 | 18 | 29.5 | .475 | .255 | .812 | 4.4 | 2.5 | .7 | .1 | 13.0 |
| A.C. Green* | 27 | 19 | 20.3 | .477 | .000 | .646 | 5.1 | 0.6 | .7 | .0 | 5.7 |
| Robert Horry* | 32 | 15 | 22.5 | .421 | .308 | .640 | 3.7 | 1.7 | .9 | .8 | 6.9 |
| Kevin Johnson | 70 | 70 | 38.0 | .496 | .441^ | .852# | 3.6 | 9.3 | 1.5+ | .2 | 20.1 |
| Jason Kidd* | 33 | 23 | 35.5 | .423 | .400 | .688 | 4.8 | 9.0 | 2.4+ | .4 | 11.6 |
| Joe Kleine* | 23 | 10 | 15.9 | .400 | 1.000^ | .722 | 3.5 | 0.5 | .4 | .3 | 3.4 |
| Horacio Llamas | 20 | 2 | 5.1 | .536 | . | .500 | 0.9 | 0.2 | .5 | .3 | 1.7 |
| Danny Manning | 77 | 17 | 27.7 | .536† | .194 | .721 | 6.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 13.5 |
| Loren Meyer* | 35 | 17 | 12.8 | .446 | .600^ | .712 | 2.7 | .3 | .1 | .3 | 5.4 |
| Steve Nash | 65 | 2 | 10.5 | .423 | .418 | .824 | 1.0 | 2.1 | .3 | .0 | 3.3 |
| Wesley Person | 80 | 42 | 29.1 | .453 | .413 | .798 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 1.1 | .2 | 13.5 |
| Rumeal Robinson* | 12 | 0 | 7.3 | .471 | .300 | .250 | 0.6 | 0.7 | .1 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Wayman Tisdale | 53 | 15 | 14.7 | .426 | . | .625 | 2.3 | 0.4 | .2 | .4 | 6.5 |
| John "Hot Rod" Williams | 68 | 66 | 31.4 | .490 | .000 | .672 | 8.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 8.0 |
* – Stats with the Suns. † – Minimum 300 field goals made. ^ – Minimum 82 three-pointers made. # – Minimum 125 free throws made. + – Minimum 50 games played.

### Playoffs

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Mike Brown | 4 | 0 | 6.8 | .400 | . | .875 | 1.0 | 0.3 | .0 | .0 | 2.8 |
| Mark Bryant | 4 | 0 | 9.0 | .400 | . | 1.000# | 1.0 | 0.0 | .0 | .0 | 2.8 |
| Cedric Ceballos | 5 | 0 | 21.4 | .333 | .250 | 1.000# | 5.2 | 0.6 | .8 | .6 | 6.6 |
| Rex Chapman | 5 | 5 | 38.2 | .494 | .458 | .680 | 3.2 | 2.6 | .4 | .0 | 24.2 |
| Kevin Johnson | 5 | 5 | 41.6 | .295 | .136 | .879 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 2.6 | .0 | 16.8 |
| Jason Kidd | 5 | 5 | 41.4 | .396 | .364 | .526 | 6.0 | 9.8 | 2.2 | .4 | 12.0 |
| Danny Manning | 5 | 0 | 23.2 | .578 | .000 | .933# | 6.0 | 1.4 | .8 | 1.4 | 13.2 |
| Loren Meyer | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .000 | .000 | . | 2.0 | 0.3 | .0 | .7 | 0.0 |
| Steve Nash | 4 | 0 | 3.8 | .222 | .250 | . | 0.3 | 0.3 | .2 | .2 | 1.3 |
| Wesley Person | 5 | 1 | 32.6 | .472 | .424 | .778 | 6.6 | 1.2 | .8 | .6 | 15.6 |
| Wayman Tisdale | 4 | 4 | 9.0 | .400 | . | . | 1.8 | 0.0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| John "Hot Rod" Williams | 5 | 5 | 21.0 | .533 | . | .400 | 4.6 | 0.6 | .4 | 1.6 | 4.0 |
# – Minimum 10 free throws made.
Player Statistics Citation:

## Transactions
### Trades

| August 19, 1996 | To Houston Rockets Charles Barkley 1999 second-round draft pick ( Tyrone Washington) | To Phoenix Suns Sam Cassell Robert Horry Mark Bryant Chucky Brown |
| September 25, 1996 | To Milwaukee Bucks Elliot Perry | To Phoenix Suns Marty Conlon 1999 first-round draft pick ( James Posey) |
| December 4, 1996 | To Milwaukee Bucks Chucky Brown | To Phoenix Suns Darrin Hancock Conditional 1997 second-round draft pick |
| December 26, 1996 | To Dallas Mavericks Sam Cassell Michael Finley A.C. Green 1998 second-round draft pick ( Greg Buckner) | To Phoenix Suns Jason Kidd Loren Meyer Tony Dumas |
| January 10, 1997 | To Los Angeles Lakers Robert Horry Joe Kleine | To Phoenix Suns Cedric Ceballos Rumeal Robinson |

### Free agents
#### Additions

| Date | Player | Contract | Former Team |
| October 2, 1996 | Evric Gray | Undisclosed | Chicago Bulls |
| October 11, 1996 | Rex Chapman | Signed one-year contract | Miami Heat |
| January 31, 1997 | Dexter Boney | Signed two 10-day contracts | San Antonio Spurs |
| February 21, 1997 | Horacio Llamas | Signed two 10-day contracts | Grand Canyon Antelopes |
| March 13, 1997 | Horacio Llamas | Signed for rest of season | Phoenix Suns |
| April 5, 1997 | Mike Brown | Signed for rest of season | Philadelphia 76ers |

#### Subtractions

| Date | Player | Reason Left | New Team |
| July 1, 1996 | Terrence Rencher | Free agent | Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA) |
| July 19, 1996 | Chris Carr | Free agent | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| October 22, 1996 | Evric Gray | Waived | New Jersey Nets |
| October 29, 1996 | Marty Conlon | Waived | Boston Celtics |
| October 29, 1996 | Mario Bennett | Waived | Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA) |
| October 29, 1996 | John Coker | Waived | Toronto Raptors |
| December 11, 1996 | Darrin Hancock | Waived | Atlanta Hawks |
| February 14, 1996 | Rumeal Robinson | Waived | Portland Trail Blazers |
| February 20, 1997 | Dexter Boney | Waived | Florida Beach Dogs (CBA) |
Player Transactions Citation: