The Phoenix Suns are on the market for a head coach again. Head coach Mike Budenholzer has been fired by the Suns after just one season with the team. Phoenix went 36-46, finishing 11th in the Western Conference.
“Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season,” the team shared in a statement posted to social media. “Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”
Budenholzer was the third coach the Suns employed over a three-year stretch, hiring him to replace Frank Vogel last offseason after they were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
While Phoenix returned Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal for the 2024-25 season, the Suns had a steep drop-off in play this year after finishing with 48 wins last season. They actually got out to an 8-1 start on the season with Durant and Booker playing at a high level after helping the United States win the gold medal in men’s basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
However, the Suns’ play quickly deteriorated. They fell to .500 shortly before Christmas Day and hovered around that mark for nearly the rest of the year before going on a 1-9 skid to end the season, with Durant missing the last seven games.
On top of the underwhelming performance on the court, there was some internal drama surrounding Phoenix. Jusuf Nurkic said that he and Budenholzer didn’t have a relationship and hadn’t spoken to each other in two months before he was traded in February. Beal, meanwhile, reportedly refused to waive his no-trade clause when he became the subject of trade rumors ahead of the trade deadline in February.
There were also rumors of the team potentially trading Durant before the deadline. Such a move would’ve waived the white flag on this era of Suns basketball, which has been one of the most expensive in NBA history. Since Mat Isbhia took over as the Suns’ owner in February 2023, Phoenix has had one of the priciest payrolls in the league. The Suns’ $366.6 million payroll this season, which includes luxury tax penalties, was the most expensive in the NBA, according to Spotrac.
Still, that wasn’t enough to get the Suns into the postseason for a fifth straight year in 2024-25. Now, the Suns will hire their fourth coach in four years as Budenholzer’s departure likely signifies major upcoming roster upheaval for a team that’s underachieved for three straight seasons.
Budenholzer has a 520-363 career record over 11 NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Suns. He signed a five-year deal that was reportedly worth $50 million to become the Suns’ head coach last offseason.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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