The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer following a disappointing season, where they finished with a 36-46 record.
Despite Budenholzer being on a five-year, $50 million contract, the Suns still owe him $40 million over the next four years. Additionally, they also owe payments to previous coaches Monty Williams and Frank Vogel.
In a press conference held on April 17, Suns owner Mat Ishbia explained the rationale behind the decision. According to him, Budenholzer was the “wrong hire” for the organization, and the team was underperforming, given the talent on the roster.
“We’ve got to get the next hire right, and we will. The team and the roster that was constructed by James, Josh, the scouts, and the front office is much better than a 36-win roster,” said Ishbia.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia on firing Mike Budenholzer (via @azfamily):
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 17, 2025
“The team, and the roster that was constructed, is much better than a 36-win roster. There’s a lot of reasons why Coach Bud is not here.”
A harsh, direct shot placing a lot of blame for this year on Budenholzer. pic.twitter.com/8B0Ij6UhT3
The Suns owner got brutally honest on his opinion for firing Mike. He also mentioned that the team should have won more games.
“So there are a lot of reasons why Coach Bud is not here, and I’m not going to get to all those reasons, but I believe we should have won a lot more games and been a lot more competitive during those games. I wish him the best, but he was the wrong coach for our organization and for that team. At the end of the day, you can blame me for it because I’m the owner at the end of the day,” he added.
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Who Could Be The Phoenix Suns’ Next Head Coach?
While the Phoenix Suns are still searching for the perfect replacement, a few names pop up in the rumor mill.
According to reports from Hoop Hype’s Michael Scotto, the Sacramento Kings’ former head coach, Mike Brown, could fill Budenholzer’s shoes.
However, the Kings let Brown go in December. His wealth of experience and strong defensive reputation make a good case for the Suns’ coaching vacancy.
Former Kings general manager Monte McNair emphasized Brown’s defensive acumen as a key factor in his hiring. He noted that Brown is recognized as one of the league’s top defensive minds and has worked with some of the NBA’s elite players.
REPORT: Mike Brown is among the candidates for the Suns head coaching job, per @MikeAScotto.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 16, 2025
(https://t.co/Q2wpzVpjmR) pic.twitter.com/b4s2YiTfMI
Brown was named the 2022-23 Coach of the Year, but he was dismissed following a challenging start to the season, finishing with a 13-18 record.
Additionally, Scotto noted that another candidate under consideration is James Borrego, the former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
Borrego is currently an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, Borrego’s prospects for moving to the Suns may hinge on the situation regarding the Pelicans’ head coach, Willie Green.
The newly appointed president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, will determine his future.
