Former Knicks Coach Named as Finalist for Suns Job

Fizdale has spent the last two seasons in Phoenix, helping to oversee the two full seasons that Kevin Durant has played in a Suns uniform while outlasting both of the head coaches hired to lead the team. He was initially picked as a key voice on Frank Vogel's staff in 2023-24 after their time together in similar roles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22, and hung on during Mike Budenholzer's turn at the wheel in 2024-25.

Fizdale has gotten plenty of spin as a coaching voice in his two decades as an NBA bench presence. He was a notable face on the Miami Heat bench during their early 2010s golden years, then lead the Memphis Grizzlies into the playoffs in 2016-17.

That wasn't enough to save him from getting fired 19 games into their very next campaign, a fate he similarly met in New York. He guided the Knicks to a 21-83 record as the head coach between 2018-20, with his dismissal marking his most recent stint occupying such a role in the NBA.

Phoenix has been as turbulent as any team in the league since adding Durant into the fold, and they're now considering an in-house voice alongside seven other names in this year's first mention of the coaching carousel.