The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Leandro Barbosa to a five-year contract extension, the maximum allowed by NBA rules. The contract extension will begin in the 2007-08 season. Per club policy, financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are really excited about keeping Leandro with us,” said Suns Head Coach and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Mike D’Antoni. “We set out to keep our core together and LB is certainly a huge part of what we do. He is only going to get better.”

The 6-3, 188-pound Brazilian guard enjoyed a breakout season in his third NBA campaign in 2005-06, posting career highs in points (13.1), rebounds (2.6), assists (2.8), field goal percentage (team-high .444, 3^rd in NBA), three-pointers made (87) and minutes played (27.9) in 57 games (11 starts).

The “Brazilian Blur” excelled in the 2006 NBA Playoffs averaging 14.2 points, including a playoff career-best 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting (.833) in a series-clinching Game 7 first-round victory vs. the L.A. Lakers on May 6. One game earlier, in his first career playoff start in place of a suspended guard Raja Bell, Barbosa responded with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting (.778) in a Game 6 overtime victory at the Lakers on May 4 to keep the Suns’ playoff hopes alive.

The 23-year-old playmaker owns career averages of 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 190 games with the Suns. As a rookie, Barbosa scored 27 points in his first NBA start at Chicago on Jan. 5, 2004, marking the most points scored by a Suns rookie in their first start.

Barbosa, who is a member of the Brazilian National Team and won a game medal at the 2005 FIBA Americas Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was originally the 28^th overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns acquired his draft rights from San Antonio for a future first-round pick on June 26, 2003.

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