1995–96 Phoenix Suns season

The 1995–96 NBA season was the 28th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. The Suns had the 21st overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Michael Finley from the University of Wisconsin. During the off-season, the team acquired Hot Rod Williams from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and signed free agent Tony Smith.

The Suns struggled with a 13–13 start to the regular season, then lost eight of their next nine games. Head coach Paul Westphal, who had led the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals, went 14–19 before being replaced by Cotton Fitzsimmons, who would come in to coach in his third stint with the Suns, while Smith was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for rookie point guard Terrence Rencher at mid-season. The team played above .500 basketball for the remainder of the season, as they held a 22–24 record at the All-Star break, and finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 41–41 record, earning the #7 seed in the Western Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the eighth consecutive year. All home games were played at the America West Arena; the Suns were also one of the nine teams to defeat the 72–10 Chicago Bulls during the regular season.

Charles Barkley led the Suns with 23.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, while Kevin Johnson averaged 18.7 points, led the team with 9.2 assists, and contributed 1.5 steals per game in only 56 games due to hamstring and groin injuries, and Finley provided the team with 15.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, sixth man Danny Manning averaged 13.4 points per game off the bench, but only played just 33 games due to a torn ACL, and sprained ankle, while second-year guard Wesley Person contributed 12.7 points per game, and led the Suns with 117 three-point field goals, and Wayman Tisdale contributed 10.7 points per game off the bench. Meanwhile, Elliott Perry provided with 8.6 points and 4.4 assists per game, A.C. Green contributed 7.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and Hot Rod Williams averaged 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and led the team with 1.5 blocks per game.

Despite playing all 82 games, Finley suffered an ankle injury on the final day of the regular season, and did not play in any of the Suns' playoff games. Without Finley, the Suns were eliminated from the 1996 NBA playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs, three games to one in the Western Conference First Round.

Barkley also made his tenth consecutive All-Star appearance, being selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game in San Antonio, Texas. The power forward, who had turned 33 years of age during the regular season, made his 11th All-NBA Team, appearing as a selection on the All-NBA Third Team; it was the first time in Barkley's career he had not been selected to the First or Second Team. Barkley also finished tied in twelfth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Finley finished tied in fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting.

Following the season, Barkley was traded to the Houston Rockets after four seasons in Phoenix, while Perry was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks, and Rencher was released to free agency.