Former Nets Coach Among Finalists for Suns Head Coaching Position

If former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson keeps this up, he’s on track to build a pretty impressive coaching tree in the next few years.

According to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Phoenix Suns are considering two of Atkinson’s assistants from Cleveland for their head coaching spot, including former Brooklyn Nets assistant Jordan Ott.

“Bryant and Ott joined the Cavaliers last summer as Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson's first hires, and both assistants are rooted in principles of toughness, grit and player development,” said Charania. “The Cavaliers ranked first in offensive efficiency and eighth in defensive efficiency this season, per ESPN Research.”

Ott spent six seasons with Brooklyn, working under three different head coaches. He arrived in 2016 during Atkinson’s first year as Nets head coach and was among Atkinson’s very first hires, stepping in as an assistant coach and director of advanced scouting.

The two actually go way back, they previously worked together with the Atlanta Hawks, where Ott was a video coordinator while Atkinson served as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer (the same coach Ott is now ironically being interviewed to replace).

Ott also coached under former Nets head coaches Jacque Vaughn and Steve Nash. During his Brooklyn tenure, the team reached the playoffs three times (2019, 2020, 2021). Throughout those years, several players praised Ott’s coaching, especially noting his focus and attention to detail.

“Jordan Ott, who’s been with the Nets during my entire time here, really pinpointed areas to focus on in the offseason and helped apply those improvements throughout the year. He simplified the game and made sure I was making the right reads,” said former Net Joe Harris.

“My player development coach Jordan Ott was huge for me — helping me simplify my game and really play to my strengths,” said former Net DeMarre Carroll.

After a long stretch in Brooklyn, Ott later joined the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff in 2022. Working under Darvin Ham, he helped coach the Lakers to a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2023.

The other finalist for the Suns head coaching job is fellow Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant.