Nets Assistant Hetzel Out of the Running for Suns Vacancy

Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Steve Hetzel is no longer in the running to become the Phoenix Suns’ next head coach, per ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania.

Hetzel’s name was connected to the Phoenix vacancy by Chris Haynes on May 18. The other candidates were Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Dave Bliss, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney, Suns assistant coach David Fizdale, New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Cavs assistant Jordan Ott and Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori.

Bryant and Ott are the two finalists of the coaching search led by new Suns general manager Brian Gregory. Gregory was named as the Phoenix GM on May 1 following a disappointing season that ended in a 36-46 record and no playoff berth. The Suns are without a head coach following the dismissal of Mike Budenholzer.

“A group of approximately eight candidates had second-round meetings before six -- Bryant, Ott, Miami's Chris Quinn, Dallas' Sean Sweeney, Oklahoma City's Dave Bliss and current staff member David Fizdale -- advanced to in-person visits with team officials last week,” Charania added. 

Hetzel joined Brooklyn from the Portland Trail Blazers, where he had been an assistant coach from 2021-24. Prior to that, he’d been an assistant with the Orlando Magic (2018-21) and the Charlotte Hornets (2018-21). Hetzel is a Michigan State alum, having served as a student manager under head coach Tom Izzo.

Hetzel knows Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernández from their Cleveland Cavaliers days. The two coach’s roles were reversed, as Fernández was head coach Hetzel’s lead assistant during the 2013-14 season with the G League’s Canton Charge. The Cavs’ developmental affiliate finished second in their respective division.

Hetzel coached the Nets’ Summer League team last year. He could once again do that if he remains in Brooklyn. The assistant coach also won the Summer League in 2022 with Portland.

He said last summer: “We want to be physical and we want to be disruptive [defensively], so that’s the number one thing that I want to see. I want to see ball pressure, I want to see them [...] get deflections, and I want them to play for each other on both ends of the floor. I want them to be in the proper help positions, I want them to share the floor, I want them to apply what we think is our shot spectrum — so get the ball to the paint, kick out, work for the best shot [and] not the first shot.”

The 2025 Summer League will run from July 10-20 in Las Vegas. The Nets could have five new rookies to bed in after the 2025 NBA Draft come June 25 and 26.