Suns rumors: What Phoenix won’t do in head coaching search

Following the Phoenix Suns firing Mike Budenholzer after one season, there’s one thing the team won’t do in its head coaching search, according to Marc Stein.

Hire another veteran head coach.

They’ve struck on two within two years, both of whom won NBA championships with their previous teams. Frank Vogel won the 2020 NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. One season later, Budenholzer won it with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Both coaches were thought to bring their championship pedigree to the Valley of the Sun. However, they brought turmoil, tension, and, plainly put, disappointment.

Within both coaching staffs, there was clear tension. With Budenholzer, the tension was direct from the star players to him. On the flip side, there was a rift between Vogel and some of his players.

Guys like Devin Booker were fond of assistant coach Kevin Young. Meanwhile, guys like Kevin Durant supported Vogel entirely.

Either way, the two veteran coaches didn’t bring their championship expertise. Vogel’s squad was a first-round sweep in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

One year later, Budenholzer’s squad didn’t even touch the play-in game, resulting in one of the biggest disappointments the NBA has ever seen.

As Ishbia alluded to on Thursday during his end of season availability, the coaching search will take time. Luckily for them, there are some high-profile names that could fit into what they are doing.

Could the Suns target a younger head coach?

Guys like Johnnie Bryant, Royal Ivey, and even current New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green would fit the bill nicely. All three men are younger and have shown major promise.

Starting with Bryant, he’s helped the Cleveland Cavaliers establish one of the top offenses in the NBA. He has a savvy mind and understands the importance of utilizing star guards.

Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are part of one of the top backcourts in the league.

Switching over to Ivey, he and Durant are best friends, and connected when both were at the University of Texas. Funny enough, Ivey coached South Sudan in the Summer Olympics and put the country on the basketball map.

Now, he could have his chance to coach in the NBA. It might be a good way for the Suns to rekindle their relationship with Durant.

Lastly, Green has been a major talking point of Phoenix’s head coaching search. The latter took over as the Pelicans’ head coach in the 2021-22 season.

Although he’s dealt with a barrage of injuries, when he made the playoffs, he made a statement.

He took his former head coach, Monty Williams, to school. Guys like Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III burst onto the scene and created some major havoc.

Plus, Green understands the former Suns teams. That 2021 NBA Finals team had tons of grit, complementary pieces, and a sense of controlled aggression that other teams couldn’t contain.

While a dose of nostalgia might not help from an X’s and O’s standpoint, he could bring back that culture that the Suns have been missing since Williams left.

Furthermore, general manager James Jones’s contract is set to expire in June. Ishbia could not renew it, and bring in a new general manager.

That might be an important element to all of this.

At the end of the day, the team will do an extensive search. Time is on their side, and they have one of the top players in the league on their roster.