The Phoenix Suns have had another underwhelming season, and according to reports, they may be willing to move on from another head coach.
According to a report from HoopsWire, the Suns could potentially let go of head coach Mike Budenholzer. This is a move that would be done to appease both stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Phoenix is currently 31-37 under coach Bud, who is in his first year with the team.
The Suns willingness to move off of Budenholzer comes from numerous reports of friction between the coach and Durant and Booker, including multiple confrontations throughout the season. During the Suns’ March 16th loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bud and Durant would have a firey exchange that went viral. With multiple other reports of locker room discourse and trade rumors from Phoenix’s top stars, the Suns believe that Budenholzer’s exit would be the best decision.
Make no mistake, Budenholzer hasn’t added to the team’s win column, but over the past three seasons, they’ve had three head coaches and three disappointing seasons. Following a major run in 2021, where the Suns ironically lost to Budenholzer’s Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, the Suns have peaked as a second round exit ever since, and the team’s trajectory has been downward ever since.
After acquiring Kevin Durant, the team coach fired Monty Williams and hired head coach and NBA Champion Frank Vogel, and acquired Bradley Beal. The team went 49-33 and were swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2024, they hired Budenholzer, kept the same trio, and find themselves currently 11th in the Western Conference, and likely heading for another disappointing season.
This doesn’t mean that Budenholzer is a bad coach, or even that Durant, Booker, and Beal are bad players, but the truth is no head coach is going to make this roster work. There’s no financial flexibility to bring in players, there’s no draft capital to get younger, and the core doesn’t work because teams in the West are just flat-out better than them. If the team is looking to compete for a championship, they need to look years down the line, not months down the line.
Budenholzer is partially accountable for the team’s failures, but so is the roster, the front office, and the team owner. The goal is no longer a championship. Phoenix needs to rebuild and figure out what kind of organization they aspire to be.
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