Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are still in the early stages of their head coaching search following the firing of Mike Budenholzer, but they reportedly already have a few candidates in mind.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, two names that "have already emerged as possibilities" for the Suns' opening are New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego and Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Dave Joerger.

Phoenix's head coaching search will be led by Brian Gregory, who was promoted from vice president to general manager on Thursday. Former GM James Jones will transition to a new role as senior advisor for the organization.

Stein noted that Gregory is "expected to conduct a wide-ranging interview process that, sources say, will feature more than a dozen candidates." However, most of the options would be first-time head coaches.

"The list of known candidates includes some still working in the playoffs (Cleveland's Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, Houston's Royal Ivey and Oklahoma City's Dave Bliss) and some who are already available (such as Miami's Chris Quinn and the Dallas duo of Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley)," Stein stated.

However, Stein added that Phoenix has "weighed pulling some candidates into its search who do have NBA head coaching experience," allowing Borrego and Joerger to become early frontrunners. Borrego coached the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022 before joining the Pelicans as an assistant under head coach Willie Green. Joerger coached the Memphis Grizzlies (2013-16) and Sacramento Kings (2016-19) before joining Doc Rivers' staff with the Philadelphia 76ers and following him to the Bucks.

The Suns are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 36-46 finish to the 2024-25 season, so it will be interesting to see which direction they go for their next head coach. It appears that Borrego and Joerger have the early advantage, but Phoenix will be thorough in its search before making a final decision.

The Phoenix Suns took an important step in what figures to be a busy offseason Thursday.

Phoenix announced it promoted vice president of player programming Brian Gregory to the general manager position as previous GM James Jones transitioned to a senior adviser role.

Gregory will be under the spotlight during the offseason as the team looks to hire a new head coach and perhaps even trade Kevin Durant.

That Phoenix went with Gregory isn't a particular surprise.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday that promoting the vice president was "an emerging option" since "Gregory already has a significant voice in Suns draft strategy and is highly regarded by owner Mat Ishbia."

Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State when Ishbia was a player and, as NBA insider Jake Fischer pointed out, is already quite familiar with college scouting ahead of the draft:

Phoenix hired Gregory ahead of the 2024-25 campaign after his lengthy career as a college basketball coach.

He was the head coach of Dayton for eight seasons from 2003-11, the head coach of Georgia Tech for five seasons from 2011-16 and the head coach of South Florida for six seasons from 2017-23.

In all, he went a combined 327-287 during his three stops.

As for Jones, he was the GM since 2019 and helped build the roster that reached the 2021 NBA Finals. However, Phoenix was arguably the most disappointing team in the league this past season as it failed to even reach the Western Conference play-in tournament at 36-46 and has now fired its head coach in three consecutive campaigns.

One of Gregory's first tasks will be finding a replacement for the fired Mike Budenholzer, who lasted just one season after Frank Vogel lasted just one season as the replacement for the fired Monty Williams.

Then there is the question of Durant, who will surely be in plenty of trade rumors during the offseason after the team failed to reach the playoffs this season. 

The 36-year-old has just one more season remaining on his deal, and trading him could be the fastest way for the front office to facilitate a quick rebuild around Devin Booker.

It will be quite the monumental task for Gregory as he begins his first GM role in the NBA.

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia reportedly has a name in mind for who he wants to lead the team's front office.

Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reported that while CEO Josh Bartelstein and team president and general manager James Jones have worked together with Ishbia on basketball decisions, the owner has been "pushing hard" to hire former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers as the Suns' new lead executive.

Myers helped the Warriors win four NBA championships during his tenure and was a two-time NBA Executive of the Year. After stepping down from his position in May 2023, he joined ESPN as an NBA analyst.

NBA insider Marc Stein also recently explained Ishbia's interest in hiring Myers, though he indicated that there isn't much confidence in league circles that Ishbia will be able to pull it off.

"You’d struggle to find many league observers who like their chances," Stein wrote, per Rankin. "Ishbia is said to have maintained a longstanding interest in trying to convince Myers to return to the role in which he presided over four Warriors championships."

Rankin noted that sources said Myers "enjoys spending time with his family," which he's able to do in his current role for ESPN. He also works as a consultant for the NFL's Washington Commanders.

Rankin added that Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst is "another name to consider" in Ishbia's search for a lead executive.

This offseason will be full of changes in Phoenix. The team is also in search of a new head coach for the third time in three years. Star forward Kevin Durant is expected to be traded over the summer, and veteran guard Bradley Beal's future with the team is in question as well.

Whoever Ishbia hires to lead the Suns' front office will have some crucial decisions to make immediately after joining the franchise.

Kevin Durant is keeping an eye on what the Phoenix Suns decide to do at head coach as he determines his next steps in the NBA.

On the latest episode of the Haynes Briefs show on YouTube (starts at 7:15 mark), NBA insider Chris Haynes explained that Durant could decide to remain with the Suns next season if they are able to hire someone who is well-respected around the league.

Haynes did note it is "very likely" that Durant will get traded this summer, but he's at least open to seeing what the organization does in its quest to find a fourth head coach in four seasons.

There has been an expectation since the trade deadline that Durant was playing his final season with the Suns before moving on this summer. He was reportedly unhappy the team tried to deal him in February.

On April 14, the same day Mike Budenholzer was fired, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Suns are expected to engage in trade discussions involving Durant and will work with his camp to find a landing spot this offseason.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the expectation is the Suns will conduct "an extensive, wide-ranging" search for a new head coach. Their list of potential candidates includes Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Houston Rockets assistant coaches Royal Ivey and Ben Sullivan and Miami Heat associate head coach Chris Quinn.

None of those candidates have any previous head-coaching experience. It's unclear if that will be a prerequisite for Durant. Budenholzer and Frank Vogel, the last two coaches in Phoenix, both had experience and only made it through one season with the organization.

Given Durant's age—he will turn 37 on Sept. 29—it's not unreasonable to assume he will be looking for a situation that is built to win right now. The Suns, regardless of who they hire as head coach, seem like they have a long way to go to reach that level.

Phoenix missed the playoffs this season with a 36-46 record. It's the first time Durant has been on a team that finished under .500 since his second NBA season in 2008-09, excluding the 2019-20 Brooklyn Nets when he didn't play due to an Achilles injury.

After finishing with the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA this season, the Phoenix Suns' priority this offseason is to get tougher on that end of the court.

On the latest episode of his YouTube show (starts at 2:28 mark), NBA insider Chris Haynes explained the Suns intend to "move away" from trying to build around a couple of stars to having more "defensive-minded" and "tough" players that allows them to be more physical.

The Suns are going to be one of the most fascinating teams to watch this summer. ESPN's Shams Charania reported in the wake of Mike Budenholzer's firing that the organization will engage in trade talks involving Kevin Durant and they will work with his representatives to find a landing spot.

Charania also noted the Suns will have discussions about Bradley Beal's future, but that situation is complicated by his full no-trade clause. He is also owed $53.7 million next season and has a player option worth $57.1 million in 2026-27.

One thing the Suns have made clear publicly is they have no intention of trading Devin Booker. He would almost certainly bring back the biggest return in a deal, but it's also hard for most teams to trade a four-time All-Star still in the prime of his career.

Of course, the big complicating factor for the Suns is money. ESPN's Bobby Marks noted they are currently projected to be $25 million over the second apron going into next season, so they are unable to aggregate contracts to facilitate a trade.

Marks did add the Suns can clear around $100 million in payroll and tax payment if they decline Vasilije Micić's $8.1 million team option and waive Cody Martin before his $8.7 million salary before it becomes fully guaranteed on June 30.

The restrictions are less prohibitive for teams in the first apron compared to the second apron, but it's still not great for an organization like the Suns that has so many areas to improve upon.

This doesn't take into account that Phoenix will be hiring its fourth different head coach in four years. Budenholzer and Frank Vogel both lasted just one season. Monty Williams was fired in May 2023 after losing to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.

Taking a step back from trying to win the headlines with star talent is a good start for the Suns in their attempt to rebuild. It may not produce great results for them next season, but a win would be them looking like a team making progress back to where they were four years ago as an NBA Finals team.

The Phoenix Suns are casting a wide net to find their next head coach after firing Mike Budenholzer after just one season.

Longtime NBA insider Chris Haynes, citing sources on the latest edition of "Haynes Briefs," relayed a list of coaching candidates that will reportedly be looked at to fill the vacancy (9:35 mark).

They include Suns assistant head coach David Fizdale, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley, ex-Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown, current New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green, Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn, Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney, Houston Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey and ex-Suns assistant (and current BYU head coach) Kevin Young.

The Suns just finished a bitterly disappointing season that ended with a 36-46 record and an 11th-place tie in the Western Conference, three games outside the play-in tournament picture.

The championship visions after the Suns added Kevin Durant and later Bradley Beal via trade to join Devin Booker have gone up in smoke, and now the team has to figure out its future plans with reconstructing the roster, too.

But finding a head coach is obviously an important task as well. Phoenix has now had three head coaches in three seasons after parting ways with Monty Williams in 2023, Frank Vogel in 2024 and now Budenholzer in 2025.

There are certainly some interesting names on the list, including Fizdale, who was previously a head coach with the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks from 2016-2019. Dudley played in the NBA for 14 years, including seven seasons with the Phoenix Suns). He's been an assistant with Dallas since 2021.

Green was an eye-opening name considering he's still employed by the Pelicans, but as Haynes said, it's unclear what the future holds in New Orleans after the franchise parted ways with executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin.

Elsewhere, Brown was the NBA's Coach of the Year in 2023 for the Sacramento Kings but was fired after a 13-18 start in the 2024-25 campaign. He's enjoyed great success as a coach, including with the Cleveland Cavaliers as their leader, so he could be the pick in Phoenix.

Ultimately, the Suns certainly hope to enjoy any sort of continuity here as the team will now hire its fourth head coach in four seasons.

The seeds of discontent between Bradley Beal and Mike Budenholzer were planted earlier in the season for the Phoenix Suns.

Per NBA insider Chris Haynes (starts at the 3:00 mark), Beal was upset at one point when Budenholzer told the three-time All-Star he "wanted him to be the Jrue Holiday" for the Suns.

Haynes noted the message "was not well received" by Beal. It's a strange piece of advice for Budenholzer to offer because Holiday is such a different style of player than Beal.

Budenholzer coached Holiday for three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2020-21 to 2022-23. He finished in the top eight of Defensive Player of the Year voting all three seasons and made the All-Star team in 2022-23.

Holiday's best trait is as a perimeter defender. He has earned plaudits from his fellow players for years because of his tenacity on that end of the court.

Beal made the All-Star team three times during his peak years by being a scorer. He averaged more than 20 points per game in seven consecutive seasons from 2016-17 to 2022-23, including back-to-back years with at least 30 points per game.

When the Suns originally acquired Beal from the Washington Wizards in June 2023, it seemed to be with the idea of giving them an unstoppable offensive trio alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Things haven't worked out as planned for the Suns. Beal has struggled to stay healthy, appearing in 111 games over the past two seasons. He was also moved to the bench for a six-week stretch in January and February in an attempt to give the reserve unit some offensive punch.

Beal was eventually moved back to the starting lineup for his final 15 games of the season, but by that point, things were off the rails in Phoenix. The team finished with a 36-46 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Budenholzer's approach with the entire team fell flat, resulting in him being fired on Monday after one season. Beal's status with the organization will be a key topic this offseason, though trading him could prove difficult with more than $110 million remaining on his contract if he exercises his 2026-27 player option that also includes a full no-trade clause.

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant has never been shy to defend himself from critics, and he made a bold declaration on Tuesday.

When asked by a fan about ESPN's Stephen A. Smith claiming he's "not a leader," Durant responded by saying he feels he's "one of the greatest leaders of all time."

The Suns reportedly plan on working with Durant on a trade this summer following the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer. His impending move to a potentially fifth career team reignited criticisms that he can't win on his own.

When a fan asked Durant about why he's been the subject of such narratives throughout his career, the 36-year-old responded, "July 4th, 2016. There’s your answer," referencing the date he famously departed the Oklahoma City Thunder as a free agent to join the Golden State Warriors. He helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships and three straight NBA Finals appearances before his departure to the Brooklyn Nets, who later traded him to the Suns.

Since leaving the Warriors, Durant has failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs. Two of his teams were swept in the first round, and the Suns missed the postseason entirely this year after finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record.

Amid Durant's tweet storm on Tuesday, Smith responded on ESPN's First Take and questioned why the 15-time All-Star feels any criticism about him is wrong:

Durant will have a lot of time on his hands over the next few weeks as he watches the postseason from home, so he could have a lot more to say on social media sooner rather than later.

Phoenix Suns governor Mat Ishbia remains unafraid to take big hits financially if he feels it's in the best interest of improving the organization.

Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Mike Budenholzer is still owed $40 million by the Suns after being fired on Monday following a 36-46 record in his first season as head coach.

Budenholzer was the third head coach for the Suns in the past three seasons. Monty Williams was dismissed in May 2023 following Phoenix's loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals.

Ishbia, whose purchase of the Suns was finalized in December 2022, inherited Williams from the franchise's previous ownership regime. Williams' firing came 10 months after he signed a multiyear extension.

The Suns hired Frank Vogel in June 2023 on a deal worth a reported $31 million over five years. He did lead the team to the playoffs with a 49-33 record in the regular season, but a first-round sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves led to his firing.

Budenholzer, who was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks in May 2023, was brought in by the Suns on a five-year deal worth at least $50 million with the hope that he would improve the offense after they finished ninth in rating and 10th in points per game under the defensive-minded Vogel.

Things did not gel for Budenholzer in Phoenix, as the offense dropped to 10th in rating and 18th in points per game. There also appeared to be issues between the coach and star players at times.

Budenholzer and Kevin Durant were seen on camera having what appeared to be an argument during a March 4 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, though both men downplayed the situation afterward.

Per The Athletic's Doug Haller, Sam Amick and Fred Katz, Budenholzer and Devin Booker had a "contentious" relationship that also played a significant role in his firing.

There are many things for the Suns to figure out this summer, but chief among them is finding stability at head coach given their turnover since playing in the 2021 NBA Finals.

Budenholzer's firing, while certainly justified based on performance, speaks to part of a larger problem with the Suns that they will need to address in the coming months.

Before the Phoenix Suns fired head coach Mike Budenholzer on Monday, his disconnect with franchise player Devin Booker was on full display for the team.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Budenholzer and Booker clashed over the way the star guard communicated with the team, causing Booker to assert his supremacy over the coach within the franchise.

"As the season fell to pieces, Booker made a perceptible shift in speaking about the importance of his 'voice.' It was multifaceted -- and intentional, sources said," Windhorst explained. "He and Budenholzer got into a dust-up during the season about Booker's communication in team settings, such as in huddles and film sessions, sources said."

Booker completed the first season of his four-year, $220 million extension. Upon Budenholzer's firing, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the 28-year-old "remains the foundation of everything they're doing in Phoenix." He's eligible for a two-year, $149.8 million extension this summer, and sources told Windhorst that the Suns are expected to offer him that deal.

Budenholzer coached Phoenix to a 36-46 record, finishing 11th in the Western Conference and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He was fired one year into the five-year, $50 million contract he signed with the team before the season.

In his lone year under Budenholzer, Booker averaged career highs of 37.3 minutes and 7.1 assists per game, and his 75 games played were his most since the 2019-20 campaign. However, his average of 25.6 points was his lowest since 2020-21, and his 33.2 percent shooting from three-point range was the second-worst mark of his career.

As Phoenix's tumultuous season neared its end, Booker made it clear that he planned on being more of a leader going forward.

"[I need] to be a leader and use my voice more," Booker said last week. When asked whom in particular he needed to speak to more, he responded, "Everybody."