The Phoenix Suns were arguably the most disappointing team in the NBA this season, and they are hoping a new head coach can help improve the situation.
Mike Budenholzer was fired by the Suns on Monday after just one season as the head coach of the team, according to multiple reports.
The Suns hired Budenholzer last offseason. They were hoping he would be able to get the most out of their trio of superstars in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but they won just 36 games and missed the playoffs.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Suns officials came to the conclusion that the team’s core players were not responding to Budenholzer, which became a major issue this season. Budenholzer and Booker reportedly had issues that trickled down to the rest of the roster.
Budenholzer also butted heads with Durant on more than one occasion, though Durant insisted he had a good relationship with the coach. Budenholzer and Durant had a heated exchange on the sideline during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers in March. Durant downplayed the incident and chalked it up to him and Budenholzer both wanting to win and the coach giving him the freedom to speak his mind.
Durant and Budenholzer then had a similar exchange during a game two weeks later, when the 15-time All-Star seemed to lose his cool with Budenholzer during a timeout in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Budenholzer had reportedly questioned Durant about why Luka Doncic was getting so many wide-open looks. You can see the video here.
Budenholzer was the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for five seasons before he was hired by the Suns. He won an NBA title in 2021.
There has been talk of the Suns potentially trading Durant this offseason, but their decision to fire Budenholzer could indicate that they are going to try to make things work with their Big Three again next season.
