The 2020–21 Phoenix Suns season was their 53rd season as a franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as their 28th season at the Footprint Center.[a][2] The Suns achieved their first winning season since the 2013–14 season after a 134–106 win over the Washington Wizards on April 10, 2021.[3] The Suns then clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2010 following a 109-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on April 28, 2021.[4] They also clinched the Pacific Division for the first time since 2007. They finished 51–21, with a winning percentage that, in a full 82-game season, would be equivalent to 58 wins.
In the first round, the Suns defeated the No. 7 seeded and defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games and the No. 3 seeded Denver Nuggets in four games in the Western Conference semifinals. The Phoenix Suns defeated the No. 4 seeded Los Angeles Clippers (Chris Paul's former team) in the Western Conference finals in six games to advance to their first NBA Finals appearance in 28 years. However, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games despite taking a 2–0 lead.
On September 8, 2020, nearly two months after firing Steve Blake and Larry Greer during the 2020 NBA Bubble period (which led to Larry joining his older brother Andy on the New York Knicks as assistant coaches there soon afterward), the Suns hired former Minnesota Timberwolves player development coach Brian Randle as one of the incoming assistant coach replacements, taking on Steve Blake's apparent position with the team.[5] In addition to that move, their Director of Athletic Performance, Daniel Bove, announced his hiring by the New Orleans Pelicans for that exact position there on his Twitter account after helping the team go undefeated in the 2020 NBA Bubble.[6] Five days after the announced signing, the Memphis Grizzlies announced the hiring of assistant coach Darko Rajaković going forward for this season, leaving Phoenix to search for his replacement.[7] On October 9, the Suns hired former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Kevin Young (who was an assistant alongside Monty Williams during his time in Philadelphia and was once considered a head coach candidate for the 76ers) as their second (and final) new assistant coach hiring of the season, replacing Rajaković's position going forward.[8]
On July 31, 2020, in a period that would normally be considered a part of this season before the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States began, the Suns fired 30 different employees for varying reasons that affected overall team performance, especially by being considered either redundant or outdated for the team.[9] Four months later, on Halloween 2020, Suns co-owner Richard J. Heckmann passed away at 76 years old due to complications relating to multiple system atrophy, though his passing wasn't confirmed by the team until November 2.[10][11] During the start of the free agency period on November 20, NBA officials confirmed that 30 more Suns employees were furloughed, with many of those employees that are still with the organization having to take a 5%-20% pay cut for this season, both of which were due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 recession.[12]
Roster Last transaction: March 18, 2021
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