Editing Phoenix Suns (section)

===1996–2004: Average times===
In the [[1996 NBA draft]], the Suns used their 15th pick for [[Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball|Santa Clara]] guard [[Steve Nash]]. During his first two seasons in the NBA, he played a supporting role behind star point guards [[Jason Kidd]] and [[Kevin Johnson (basketball)|Kevin Johnson]].

After the Barkley trade, the Suns began the [[1996–97 NBA season|1996–97 season]] 0–13, a franchise record for the worst start. During the 13-game losing streak, Fitzsimmons stepped down as the coach and was replaced by former player Danny Ainge.

After an on-the-court altercation between Ainge and Horry, Horry was traded to the Lakers for former Sun and NBA all-star [[Cedric Ceballos]]. Cassell was later traded to Dallas for all-star guard [[Jason Kidd]]. With a mostly small lineup, the Suns put together an 11-game win streak that put them in [[1997 NBA playoffs|the playoffs as the seventh seed]], in a series that almost upset the favored Sonics. Despite the loss in the playoffs, the Suns became one of the few NBA teams to make the playoffs after starting the season 0–10 or worse,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1997/11/10/no4-phoenix-suns|title=No. 4 Phoenix Suns|last=Kurkjian|first=Tim|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=November 10, 1997|accessdate=June 3, 2024}}</ref> and one of the few to make the playoffs after experiencing a 10-plus-game losing streak during the regular season.

With Kidd starting at point guard, Nash was traded to the Mavericks in June 1998 in exchange for [[Martin Müürsepp]], [[Bubba Wells]], the draft rights to [[Pat Garrity]], and a future first-round draft pick (later used to select [[Shawn Marion]]).

In the off-season prior to the 2000 NBA season, the Suns traded for perennial All-Star [[Penny Hardaway|Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway]], creating the tandem of Kidd and Hardaway called "Backcourt 2000".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/7/31/5954349/throwback-thursday-backcourt-2000|title=Throwback Thursday: Backcourt 2000|date=July 31, 2014|website=BrightSideOfTheSun.com|access-date=December 29, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055329/https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/7/31/5954349/throwback-thursday-backcourt-2000|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the combination of Hardaway and Kidd was never fully realized as Hardaway missed several games during the middle of the [[1999–2000 NBA season|1999–2000 season]] and Kidd broke his ankle going into [[2000 NBA playoffs|the playoffs]] just as Hardaway returned to the court. As the Suns entered the 2000 playoffs, they beat the higher-seeded San Antonio Spurs 3–1 in the best-of-five series. The Spurs were without their best player Tim Duncan throughout the whole series. However, even with the return of Kidd in the next round, the Suns fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in a 4–1 series.

The Suns continued to make the playoffs until the [[2001–02 NBA season|2001–02 season]] when they fell short for the first time in 14 years. That season marked the trade of Jason Kidd to the [[New Jersey Nets]] for [[Stephon Marbury]]. With the resultant high draft pick, the Suns were able to draft [[Amar'e Stoudemire]].

[[File:Amar'e Stoudemire 00054226.jpg|thumb|right|The Suns drafted Amare Stoudemire in 2002; he would become a six-time All Star]]
The [[2002–03 NBA season|2002–03]] campaign saw the emergence of Stoudemire, a graduate of [[Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida)]]. He became the first high school-drafted player to win the [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award|NBA Rookie of the Year]] for the 2002–03 season, during which the Suns posted a record of 44–38 and returned to the playoffs. Marbury had a successful individual season, making the All-NBA Third Team and being selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. The Suns were eliminated in the first round once again by the San Antonio Spurs; a six-game series with the eventual NBA champions.

In the [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04 season]], the Suns finished out of the playoffs with a 29–53 record. The Suns made a blockbuster mid-season trade sending Marbury and Hardaway to the [[New York Knicks]] for Antonio McDyess and a future first round pick that was later dealt to Denver.