Suns' Top Potential HC Options for Durant, Booker, Beal After Mike Budenholzer Fired

The Phoenix Suns will be on the hunt for a new head coach during the 2025 offseason.

On Monday, the Suns announced that head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired after the team missed the postseason with a disappointing 36-46 record.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Budenholzer "had issues connecting with the locker room" throughout his lone season with the organization.

Phoenix is now set to begin its 2025-26 campaign with its fourth coach in four years.

The Suns were expected to contend for a playoff spot under Budenholzer as they entered their first full season with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal as teammates.

Instead, they were unable to build upon a promising 9-2 start to the year as Durant and Beal combined to miss 49 games due to injuries.

While Durant's long-term future in Phoenix is uncertain, the team will still be searching for a new head coach that can help the Suns return to the playoffs.

Here are some potential options.

Willie Green isn't currently a free agent, but his long-term job security as the New Orleans Pelicans' head coach is far from assured.

The Pelicans fired executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin on Monday, while NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that Green's status with the organization was also "tenuous."

Green owns a record of 148-180 throughout four seasons in New Orleans, but it's worth noting that star power forward Zion Williamson appeared in just 129 of a possible 328 games over that span.

The coach has ties to Phoenix, as he was an assistant on the Suns from 2019-21. Green was also a member of the Golden State Warriors' staff from 2016-19.

Stein reported Monday that links between Green and the Suns have been "circulating" due to his relationship with Booker as well as team governor Matt Ishbia.

If the Pelicans decide to part ways with Green, a reunion with Phoenix could end up occurring.

While Budenholzer's championship success with the Milwaukee Bucks didn't translate to the Suns, they could still hire another coach that has a recent NBA Finals victory in Michael Malone.

Malone was surprisingly fired by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday despite the team holding the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings with a 47-32 record at the time.

The 53-year-old compiled a 471-327 record in 10 seasons with the Nuggets, helping the team win a title in 2023.

Malone's potential fit on the Suns isn't seamless, as he reportedly had issues connecting with Denver's players similar to Budenholzer.

According to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, Nuggets players "grew tired" of his "explosive coaching style" prior to his firing.

Still, it's difficult to ignore his successful track record. Denver has made the playoffs in seven straight years.

While Malone may not have direct ties to the Suns, he's an intriguing candidate for their vacancy.

If the Suns are looking for a first-time head coach moving forward, Sam Cassell should be an option.

Following his 15-year NBA career in which he won three championships, Cassell became an assistant coach. He's been an assistant on four separate teams since 2008 and is currently a member of the Boston Celtics' staff.

Cassell was voted as the best assistant coach in the league as part of the NBA's survey of general managers entering the 2024-25 season.

He's also earned praise from Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who highlighted his communication skills.

"He's been at every seat on the bench, and he knows how to communicate with every single player," Mazzulla told reporters in May 2024.

Given the reported disconnect between Budenholzer and Phoenix's locker room, bringing in a fresh face such as Cassell could be a welcome change.