Steve Nash returns to Phoenix Suns as senior advisor
Hall of Famer Steve Nash is coming back to the Phoenix Suns, this time in a front office role. Team owner Mat Ishbia announced Monday that Nash will join the organization as a senior advisor.
“Steve Nash was an amazing player and exactly what the Phoenix Suns are all about,” Ishbia shared on social media. “His grit, toughness, and winning mentality have defined our organization in the past, and I’m so excited to share that Steve is formally joining the Suns as a senior advisor and will help us define our future for years to come!”
Nash spent 10 seasons with the Suns and won back-to-back NBA MVP awards during his time in Phoenix.
The Suns originally picked Nash 15th overall in the 1996 NBA draft out of Santa Clara University. That legendary draft class also included Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, and Jermaine O’Neal.
Nash had two different stints with Phoenix, but it was his second run with the team that cemented his legacy. After spending six seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he returned to the Suns and immediately transformed the franchise.
His impact was immediate and dramatic.
Phoenix won a then-franchise record 62 games in 2004-05 and reached the Western Conference finals. Nash led the league with 11.5 assists per game that season, earning his first MVP award.
He followed that up with another MVP season, averaging a career-high 18.8 points along with a league-leading 10.5 assists.
Nash’s playmaking abilities were unmatched during his Phoenix years. He led the NBA in assists five times while with the Suns and still holds the franchise record with 6,997 assists, well ahead of Kevin Johnson (6,518) and Alvan Adams (4,012).
The eight-time All-Star was inducted into the Suns’ Ring of Honor in 2015.
Throughout his 18-year NBA career, Nash was incredibly efficient. He averaged 14.3 points, 8.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field, 42.8% from three-point range, and an incredible 90.4% from the free throw line.
After retiring as a player, Nash tried his hand at coaching. He went 94-67 as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets before being fired after a 2-5 start in his third season during 2022-23.
Suns rebuilding around Booker
Nash joins a franchise in transition. After a disappointing 2024-25 season, the Suns have made several major moves.
They hired Jordan Ott as their new head coach – incredibly, he’s the fourth different coach to lead the team in the last four years after the firings of Monty Brown, Frank Vogel, and Mike Budenholzer.
The team has also dramatically reshaped its roster. They traded superstar Kevin Durant and agreed to a buyout with veteran guard Bradley Beal, giving up on their “Big Three” experiment after just one season.
Beal gave back $13.9 million from the $110 million remaining on his contract to complete the buyout. The Suns will spread the remaining salary over five years.
These moves signal the team’s commitment to building around Devin Booker, who signed a massive two-year, $145 million extension in July. That deal, which keeps him in Phoenix through the 2029-30 season, represents the highest annual extension salary in NBA history.
The Suns open training camp next Thursday, September 25, at the team’s practice facility. Their season opener is set for October 22 against the Sacramento Kings at PHX Arena.
