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Suns' head-coaching job is a poisoned chalice
For the third summer in a row, the Phoenix Suns are looking for a new head coach. While they've attracted championship-winning coaches and paid big salaries, owner Mat Ishbia's lack of patience makes this a bad job.
BREAKING: Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/cOtfpCOqTv
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 14, 2025
Whoever the Suns end up hiring will become their fourth head coach since Ishbia took over control of the franchise in February 2023. Ishbia has been highly aggressive in making blockbuster deals for All-Stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, and spending big on coaches. Ishbia still owes Budenholzer the balance of contract worth over $50M, while Vogel still has three years remaining on his five-year, $31.25M contract.
Ishbia is fortunate the Detroit Pistons gave former coach Monty Williams a massive contract before the 2023-24 season, which means his $65M buyout from Detroit dwarfs the $20M he was owed by Phoenix.
In Shakespeare's "Macbeth," the title character compares the plot to murder the king and usurp his power as a "poisoned chalice" — a tempting opportunity that will eventually lead to doom. Macbeth can't resist even though he sees the dangers, which the Suns' old coaches may relate to. Being highly paid to lead a collection of All-Stars was tempting, even though coaching Kevin Durant (four head coaches fired in three seasons) has been worse for your job security than dueling Macduff at a Scottish castle.
So whoever takes the Suns job next needs to be aware of what they're doing. The job looks shiny and appealing, but if you grab that poisoned chalice, you probably won't hold onto it for long.
More must-reads:
- Directionless Suns set to pay four coaches at same time
- Jrue Holiday weighs in on Bradley Beal discourse amid Suns HC firing
- The 'All-time scoring leaders for each NBA franchise' quiz
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NBA champion guard retires after career filled with memorable moments
Marco Belinelli wasn't ever the most famous or accomplished NBA player. But in his 13 NBA seasons, the recently retired guard was part of a number of big NBA moments. Belinelli announced his retirement from professional basketball Monday after a career that spanned 13 NBA seasons, sandwiched between five seasons in Italy before and after his time in the league. He won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, won three league titles in Serie A and four Italian Supercups and was league MVP in 2024 at age 38. The Italian guard made a huge splash in his first Summer League game after the Golden State Warriors drafted him with the No. 18 pick in 2007, scoring 37 points, the second-highest single-game total at the time. The sharpshooting guard didn't truly emerge as a big-game player until 2013, when he joined the Chicago Bulls. With Derrick Rose out for the season, Belinelli stepped up with a huge performance in Game 7 of the first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 24 points and nine of the Bulls' last 11 points. Not only did he get the Bulls to the second round of the playoffs, where they'd lose to the eventual champion Miami Heat, but the loss inspired the Nets to make a hugely significant trade. They mortgaged the future to get Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics, a deal that gave Boston the picks that became Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the core members of their 2024 title team. Belinelli moved on to the San Antonio Spurs, and he proceeded to show off his outside shooting by winning the Three-Point Contest. In the 2014 playoffs, Belinelli shot 42.1% from three-point range, helping the Spurs to a title and getting his revenge on the Heat. Once again, Belinelli's efforts helped blow up a playoff rival — LeBron James left the Heat to return to Cleveland after the season. While Belinelli had an amazing shooting run the next year, going 14-for-30 from deep in the first round, the Spurs lost to the Clippers, even after Belinelli hit seven threes in Game 6. After bouncing around the NBA for a few years, Belinelli made it back to the playoffs with the 2017-18 Philadelphia 76ers, where he hit a huge clutch shot against the Celtics to tie Game 3 at the buzzer. Unfortunately, the 76ers arena staff thought he'd won the game with a three-pointer, and they blasted celebratory confetti. The Sixers would lose in OT after Al Horford stole the ball from Ben Simmons. For a player who was never a star, Belinelli certainly has a collection of star-studded highlights. He'll be remembered for a long time — especially in San Antonio.
New report sheds light on how Cowboys view Micah Parsons situation
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Giants have firm stance on possible Jameis Winston trade
The New York Giants have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, and there has been speculation that Jameis Winston could be the odd man out when the regular season begins. It does not sound like Winston is going anywhere, however. Russell Wilson is expected to be the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 1. The big question is whether Jaxson Dart or Winston will enter the year as Wilson's primary backup. Dart has played well through two preseason games, and Brian Daboll and his coaching staff have raved about the former Ole Miss star. Some have wondered if the Giants could entertain trade offers for Winston should they decide they view Dart as their No. 2 quarterback. Assistant general manager Brandon Brown was asked about that on Tuesday, and he all but ruled it out. "I appreciate people that are interested, but Jameis is a New York Giant. The way that he's gone about his business from day one, he's made it very intentional of the fact that he wants to be here and he wants to be here for the long haul," Brown said. "Teammates love him. His preparation process, whether it's the off-field things that he does in terms of community relations, Bible studies, things in the locker room, galvanizing the group together — not just the quarterback room, but the offense as a whole. "He's been comic relief, but he's also been a really good example of how to be a pro and handle your business in terms of prehab, rehab and postgame care. So, I'm happy he's here, and he's gonna continue to do those things. He hasn't wavered, and he hasn't been shaken by any distractions at all." Winston signed a two-year, $8M contract with the Giants in free agency this offseason. The deal could climb as high as $16M with incentives, but he would need to play quite a bit to hit those. The Giants value Winston's extensive experience, just as they value Dart's upside. There is a reason they signed both Wilson and Winston and traded up to draft Dart. They believe in all three players, and they likely will not be inclined to trade Winston unless they receive an excellent offer.
Packers may find themselves in position to repeat a quarterback move that once paid off after the latest NFL development
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