If he is not fired, I will leave the Phoenix Suns head coach…
If he is not fired, I will leave the Phoenix Suns head coach…
Nobody is safe when a new, aggressive owner takes over a franchise.
The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Monty Williams, who led the team to the 2021 NBA Finals and won coach of the year in 2022. This was an unexpected move that was reportedly motivated by ownership, as confirmed by the team and first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
This comes after the Suns, under new owner Mat Ishbia, made a bold trade deadline bid to acquire Kevin Durant, who would team up with Devin Booker. That move provided the Phoenix one of the best tandems in the NBA, but it also severely damaged the depth of the roster, as the team’s defeat in the second round of the playoffs showed.
to the Denver Nuggets. Williams, who tried nearly everything but was restricted in what he could accomplish with a small roster, was not to blame for that earlier-than-expected exit or the two blowout exits that ended the season.
Williams would still be the coach if Booker or Durant stood up for him. Williams and center Deandre Ayton had disagreements, which is one of the reasons the former No. 1 pick center is anticipated to be sold this offseason combined with a lack of tools for roster construction.
Williams contributed to the Suns’ transformation from a 19-win joke club to one of the top teams in the West. He allegedly has at least three years and $21 million left on his contract after signing an extension last year, though that may be more like Over $30 million in four years.
For the Suns, the key question is: Who are they getting better than?
Three coaches—former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, former Raptors coach Nick Nurse, and former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer—are available who have won a championship in the last four years. However, according to Marc Stein, the Suns are interested in Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who is still employed.
Just after the Clippers were eliminated by the Suns (despite Paul George missing the entire series and Kawhi Leonard participating in just two games), Lue declared his intention to return to Los Angeles for the upcoming season. Although Lue was clearly frustrated by the Clippers’ ever-changing roster, he is still bound by a contract with (If Lue even wants the position) and Phoenix would have to give up a lot to obtain him.
This summer, the Suns are anticipated to make changes to both the squad and the front office (they let go of two scouts and an assistant coach before to this action). Despite having a long way to go before they succeed, they are all in on beating Durant and Booker.
