The 2009–10 Phoenix Suns season was the 42nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Head coach Alvin Gentry (who coached the Suns the final 31 games of the previous season) was looking to reinstill in the Suns their offensive tendencies of seasons past: using the strengths of Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire. A season-and-a-half experiment with Shaquille O'Neal ended in the summer before the season. With this subtraction and the retention of Jason Richardson, the Suns were primed for a return to the playoffs after a one-season absence. Phoenix would be the only team in the league to post a three-point field goal percentage of 40% or more while leading the NBA in scoring at 110 points per contest. They would return to the playoffs, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the First Round and sweeping the rivaled San Antonio Spurs in four games in the Semifinals. Returning to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in four seasons, the Suns met the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, but lost the series in six games to the defending and eventual NBA champions. The Suns had the best team offensive rating in the NBA. Following the season, Stoudemire signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks, and General Manager Steve Kerr left to return as a commentator for TNT. This would be the last time the Suns reached the playoffs until their 2020–21 season, ending the second-longest active NBA post-season appearance drought at that time.

Key dates

Offseason

NBA draft

Roster

Roster notes

Pre-season

Regular season

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

15,974 18,422 15,376 15,105 17,461 18,624 14,143 10,205 16,517 18,997 16,605 16,396 14,520 18,422 18,284 18,225 17,721 19,763 20,562 17,747 18.997 19.857 18,216 19,155 17,964 20,559 16,811 18,221 15,953 16,709 19,550 18,422 18,422 17,135 13,630 15,811 18,422 10,858 17,605 17,574 18,119 15,963 18,422 17,792 19,911 15,722 17,855 17,165 13,874 19,155 14,922 18,190 11,508 19,974 18,266 17,369 18,203 17,765 18,043 18,581 18,159 17,455 17,912 18,180 18,422 18,218 18,179 18,422 18,422 18,722 18,422 16,668 21,169 14,734 22,076 18,717 18,422 18,334 18,422 18,422 19,911

Playoffs

The Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the first round. They swept the San Antonio Spurs in four games in the Western Conference semifinals, defeating them for the second time in 10 years, after having been eliminated by them in recent seasons four times in five playoff series. The Suns would face the Pacific division-winners Los Angeles Lakers, also the West's top seed, in the Western Conference finals, but lose the series in six games.

Game log

18,422 18,422 20,271 20,151 18,422 20,313 18,422 18,422 18,581 18,581 18,997 18,997 18,422 18,422 18,997 18,422

Player statistics

Season

• – Stats with the Suns. † – Minimum 300 field goals made.

• – Minimum 70 games played or 100 blocks.

Playoffs

† – Minimum 20 field goals made. ^ – Minimum 10 free throws made.

Awards, records and milestones

Awards

Week/Month

All-Star

Season

Milestones

Injuries and surgeries

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

On July 11, the Suns re-signed Grant Hill and Louis Amundson. On July 13, the Suns signed a two-year contract with former University of Arizona center Channing Frye.