Ranking The 5 Greatest Phoenix Suns Players In NBA History By Position

• Walter Davis is the Phoenix Suns’ all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points

• The Phoenix Suns have had two players with three MVP awards in their franchise’s history

• The Phoenix Suns are one of 10 NBA teams to never win an NBA championship

The Phoenix Suns have officially been an NBA franchise since 1968-69. During that time, the franchise has made 32 playoff appearances with three trips to the NBA Finals in 1976, 1993, and 2021. The Suns have never been crowned NBA champions in their 56 years of existence but do boast a 2,380-2,063 overall record for a winning percentage of 53.6%.

From the days of Dick Van Arsdale, Alvan Adams, and Walter Davis to their Bog 3 of today with Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant, Phoenix has been home to some of the most iconic and greatest basketball players in NBA history. Just as we have done with so many franchises before, today we present to you the five greatest players to ever play point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center for the Suns in their franchise’s history.

If you are unfamiliar with the franchises we have covered in the past, they are listed below for you to look back on:

Ranking The 5 Greatest Miami Heat Players In NBA History By Position

Ranking The 5 Greatest Boston Celtics Players In NBA History By Position

Ranking The 5 Greatest Los Angeles Lakers Players In NBA History By Position

Ranking The 5 Greatest Golden State Warriors Players In NBA History By Position

Ranking The 5 Greatest Chicago Bulls Players In NBA History By Position

The one rule that we have about these rankings that many still don’t seem to understand is that these players are being based on their time with the Phoenix Suns only. What they did with any other franchise in their careers holds no bearing on their ranking within the Suns organization. With that being said, let’s get into the list.

These are the five greatest Phoenix Suns players in NBA history by position.

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The 5 Greatest Point Guards In Phoenix Suns History

1. Steve Nash

- 2x MVP, 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team Selection

2. Kevin Johnson

- 1x Most Improved Player, 3x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team Selection

3. Jason Kidd

- 3x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection

4. Dennis Johnson

- 2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection

5. Chris Paul

- 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection

Point guards in Phoenix Suns history are held in high regard for their place in NBA history. The player who stands out above all of them is former two-time MVP Steve Nash who was the general of numerous historically efficient offenses. Nash led the Suns to two different 60-win seasons while also picking up back-to-back MVP awards in the process in 2005 and 2006. In his 20 combined seasons with the Suns, Nash averaged 14.4 points and 9.4 assists per game on 50/40/90 shooting splits. Nash would also win all five of his career assists titles while with the Suns.

Kevin Johnson is easily one of the most underrated players in NBA history. After arriving midway through his rookie season via trade in 1988, Kevin Johnson would become the NBA’s Most Improved Player with the Suns in 1989. He would go on to become one of the greatest players in team history as he led the team to back-to-back Conference Finals appearances. In 1993, Johnson would help lead the Suns to one of their three NBA Finals appearances in team history but fall to the Chicago Bulls in six games. In his 12 seasons with the team, Johnson averaged 18.7 points, 9.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

Jason Kidd’s time with the Phoenix Suns was short from 1997 through 2001 but he did just enough to be considered their third-ranked point guard ever. Kidd became a two-way star with the Suns averaging 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game over the course of those five seasons. Kidd would capture three of his five career assists titles with the Suns as well and the team advanced to the NBA playoffs every season Kidd was their point guard.

Dennis Johnson would be much higher on this list if his time with the Suns wasn’t cut down to just three seasons. After winning a title in Seattle, Johnson came over to the Suns in 1981 where he remained through the 1983 season. Johnson would average 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game over 236 games played with the Suns during his time there with two All-Star selections and three All-Defensive Team selections to his name.

Chris Paul is the most recently tenured point guard for the Suns to make this list. Paul was with the Suns from 2021 through 2023 before being traded this summer. In Paul’s three seasons with the Suns, he was named an All-Star and All-NBA Team member twice. He led the NBA in assists in 2022 as well and led Phoenix to their third NBA Finals appearance in 2021. In his three years with the team, Chris Paul averaged 15.1 points, 9.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 48.0% shooting.

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The 5 Greatest Shooting Guards In Phoenix Suns History

1. Walter Davis

- 1x Rookie Of The Year, 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection

2. Devin Booker

- 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection

3. Paul Westphal

- 4x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Team Selection

4. Dan Majerle

- 3x All-Star, 2x All-Defensive Team

5. Dick Van Arsdale

- 3x All-Star, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection

The shooting guard hierarchy in Phoenix Suns history is a talented one to navigate. For now, Walter Davis remains their greatest shooting guard thanks to 11 elite seasons with the team from 1978 through 1988. Davis was an All-Star and Rookie of the Year in 1978 averaging 24.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game with the Suns. He remains the franchise’s all-time leading scorer to this day and helped lead the Suns to the Conference Finals in 1979 and 1984.

Devin Booker is right behind Davis at this point in his career as a three-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA Team selection. Booker has been with the Suns since they drafted him 13th overall in 2015, heading into his ninth season in 2023-24. Booker has averaged 23.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game in his Suns career on 49.4% shooting. In 2021, Booker helped lead Phoenix to their third Finals appearance but fell to the Bucks in six games.

Paul Westphal is known for his coaching accomplishments just as much as his playing days in the NBA. Westphal’s best years would come with the Suns from 1976 through 1980 as he made four All-Star teams and averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Westphal helped the Suns advance to the 1976 NBA Finals as well, averaging 21.1 points and 5.1 assists per game on that Finals run. In 1993, Westphal would coach the Suns to their second Finals appearance but fall to the Bulls in six games.

Dan Majerle is a Phoenix Suns legend who played eight seasons with the team from 1989 through 1995 and again in 2002. In Majerle’s time with the Suns, he would earn all three of his career All-Star selections and average 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. In 1993, he played a vital role in their team’s trip to the NBA Finals against the Bulls. Majerle was a two-time All-Defensive Second Team with the Suns as well, including their 1993 Finals season.

The final player ranked in our greatest Phoenix Suns shooting guards is Dick Van Arsdale. He was the shooting guard for Phoenix from 1969 through 1977 and earned three straight All-Star selections in his first three years with the team. In those three seasons, he averaged over 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals in 1976 but just one other playoff appearance outside of that in 1970.

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The 5 Greatest Small Forwards In Phoenix Suns History

1. Shawn Marion

- 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection

2. Connie Hawkins

- 4x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection

3. Eddie Johnson

- 1x Sixth Man Of The Year

4. Grant Hill

- N/A

5. Cedric Ceballos

- N/A

The overall level of talent from the small forward spot is relatively thin in Suns history but there are some underrated legends near the top. Shawn Marion is a borderline Hall of Famer and the greatest small forward in Suns history. Marion played nine seasons with the team from 2000 through 2008, earning four All-Star selections and two ALl-NBA selections. He averaged 18.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks in his nine seasons there as one of the best two-way players in the NBA at the time.

Connie Hawkins had a short career with the Suns but was as dominant as any other player in team history. In four and a half seasons from 1970 through 1974, Hawkins averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game for the Suns. He earned four All-Star selections in five seasons while making one playoff appearance and once All-NBA Team. Hawkins, a former ABA MVP, would see his career end at just 33 years old when injuries caught up with him.

Eddie Johnson is a beloved figure in Suns history and a current broadcaster for their local television coverage. Johnson played with the Suns from 1988 through 1991 and during that time, became one of the best bench players in basketball. In 1989, Johnson would be named Sixth Man of the Year by the NBA after averaging 21.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in 70 games off the bench for Phoenix. Johnson would average 18.6 points per game on 47.9% shooting in four years with the Suns.

Grant Hill was well past his prime when he arrived in Phoenix in 2008. Hill would be pretty productive in a starting role next to Steve Nash averaging 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game over four and a half seasons. Hill had clearly lost a step from his All-Star days in Detroit and Orlando but did just enough to make it onto our list of greatest small forwards in team history.

The final member of the greatest small forwards in Phoenix Suns history list is another member of the 1993 NBA Finals team. Cedric Ceballos played six years with the Suns from 1991 through 1994 and again in 1997 and 1998. He averaged 11.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his Suns career but had an All-Star caliber stretch during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Ceballos was not a stat-stuffer at this time but is still one of the more beloved members of that 1993 Finals team.

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The 5 Greatest Power Forwards In Phoenix Suns History

1. Charles Barkley

- 1x MVP, 4x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Team Selection

2. Tom Chambers

- 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection

3. Larry Nance

- 1x All-Star

4. Danny Manning

- 1x Sixth Man Of The Year

5. Clifford Robinson

- 1x All-Defensive Team Selection

The power forward is another strong position for the Suns. Of course, in the top spot is Charles Barkley who arrived in Phoenix via trade in 1992 and was MVP by the end of his first season in 1992-93. In that 1003 MVP season, Barkley averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game as the Suns won 62 games. He would lead them to the NBA Finals that season as well but fall to the Bulls in six games. In four years with the Suns, Barkley averaged 23.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while being named an All-Star all four seasons.

Tom Chambers was another All-Star big man for the Suns during the 1980s who made his mark on the franchise. Chambers spent five years with Phoenix from 1989 through 1993 averaging 20.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 46.3% shooting. Chambers would earn three All-Star selections with the team in three straight seasons from 1989 through 1991. Chambers came off the bench for the 1993 Finals team that lost to Chicago in six games.

Larry Nance was the 20th overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 1981 NBA Draft and it is where he would spend the first seven seasons of his career. Nance was an All-Star in Phoenix in 1985 averaging 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. In seven years with the team, Nance averaged 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game on 56.1% shooting. In 1984, Nance helped the Suns make their way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Danny Manning is a former No. 1 overall draft pick who the Suns were able to land for a small price in 1994. Manning would go on to play five seasons with the Suns from 1995 through 1999 averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. While he was far from the top talent he was projected to be at this point, Manning shocked the NBA when he won the 1998 Sixth Man of the Year award with the Suns averaging 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game off the bench.

Clifford Robinson is remembered most for his days with the Portland Trail Blazers but he also played a decent role on the Phoenix Suns from 1998 through 2001. During this time, Robinson was an All-Defensive player who averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Robinson was a reliable option for the team at forward, missing just four games in four years.

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The 5 Greatest Centers In Phoenix Suns History

1. Amar’e Stoudemire

- 1x Rookie Of The Year, 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Team Selection

2. Alvan Adams

- 1x Rookie Of The Year, 1x All-Star

3. Shaquille O’Neal

- 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection

4. Deandre Ayton

- N/A

5. Mark West

- N/A

The center position is somewhat underwhelming in Phoenix Suns history with many of their big men either not staying in town long or not panning out how the team thought they would. At the top, however, is Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix’s ninth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Stoudemire went on to become one of the top centers in the NBA during the 2000s on both sides of the ball. In eight years with the Suns, he averaged 21.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game with three appearances in the Western Conference Finals.

Alvan Adams looked like a super rookie during his debut season in 1975-76. Adams took home Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors that season, averaging 19.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. The Suns would advance to the NBA Finals that season as well on the back of Adams’ incredible rookie campaign. Adams would spend his entire 13-year career with Phoenix, averaging 14.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Shaquille O’Neal was a long way away from the prime Shaq we saw dominate the NBA in the early 2000s with the Lakers when he arrived in Phoenix in 2007-08. In his only full seasons with the team, O’Neal averaged 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He earned All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honors for his efforts which is actually much more than most centers can say in Suns history.

Deandre Ayton was recently traded by the Suns after they made him their No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018. Although most would say Ayton disappointed in Phoenix, it was far from all bad despite the lack of accolades. In five seasons, Ayton averaged 16.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. In 2021, he helped them make an NBA Finals appearance against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ayton is not going to be revered by Suns fans because of how it ended, but they got some very good basketball out of him for stretches of time.

The final center on our top five in Phoenix Suns history is none other than Mark West. At first glance, West’s numbers are nothing special, averaging 6.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in eight seasons with the Suns. West also ranks second in blocks with 897 and first in field goal percentage at 61.3% in Suns history are advantages for his ranking here today and why he sneaks into their top five.