[1] In the off-season, the Suns acquired Antonio McDyess from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team trade,[2][3][4][5] and signed free agents Clifford Robinson,[6][7][8][9] and George McCloud.
[20][21][22][16] Danny Ainge returned for his first full season as the Suns head coach, as they won nine of their first eleven games, which included a 140–139 quadruple overtime road win over the Portland Trail Blazers on November 14, 1997.
[33] Kidd was the team's sole member to be selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York City, New York, which was his second All-Star appearance;[41][42][43][44] Kidd also finished tied in thirteenth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Ainge finished tied in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.
[45][46] The Suns would make their tenth consecutive playoff appearance; in the Western Conference First Round, they faced off against the 5th-seeded San Antonio Spurs, who were led by David Robinson, and Rookie of the Year, Tim Duncan.
The Suns traded their first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995 when they dealt Dan Majerle and Antonio Lang for John "Hot Rod" Williams.
They would face the fifth-seeded San Antonio Spurs, headlined by star center David Robinson and Rookie of the Year forward Tim Duncan.