The Phoenix Suns appear to be closing in on selecting a new coach, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, with Cleveland Cavaliers assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott at the center of the search. Suns owner Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and general manager Brian Gregory will meet with both Bryant and Ott in Michigan with a decision expected to take place later this week.
Charania also reports that star guard Devin Booker has been involved in the coaching search over the last week.
The Suns have had quite a bit of movement this offseason. They fired coach Mike Budenholzer back in April after he failed to make the playoffs. On May 1, the team named Gregory as its new general manager. Since taking the job, Gregory has interviewed more than 15 coach for the vacancy, including Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, and Suns staff member David Fizdale — among others.
Both Bryant and Ott joined coach Kenny Atkinson’s staff last summer and helped lead the team to a 64-18 regular-season record. Ott has also spent time with the coaching staffs of the Atlanta Hawks (2013-16), Brooklyn Nets (2016-22), and Los Angeles Lakers (2022-24). Meanwhile, Bryant was an assistant with the Utah Jazz (2012-20) and New York Knicks (2020-24) before joining the Cavaliers.
Ott was also a video coordinator with the Michigan State men’s basketball program from 2008 until 2013. Ishbia played for the Spartans from 1999-2002 and was a member of the program’s national championship team in 2000.
What kind of roster is the new hire inheriting?
The Suns pushed all their chips in with this current roster. The team acquired star forward Kevin Durant and guard Bradley Beal in recent seasons, but it hasn’t exactly translated to postseason success. With Beal on the roster, Phoenix made the playoffs in 2023-24 but lost in the opening round in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves before missing the postseason completely this past season.
The Suns attempted to move Durant to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline without his knowledge; however, Durant vetoed a potential trade and remained in Phoenix for the remainder of the year. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has reported that the Suns are almost certainly going to trade Durant this offseason. With Durant turning 37 before the 2025-26 season begins, it’s quite likely that the Suns new coach won’t have the future Hall of Famer at his disposal.
It’s safe to assume Booker will be a member of the Suns for the foreseeable future since he’s reportedly been involved in the coaching search. Ishbia has also stated on record that he doesn’t plan on moving on from the All-Star guard.
While Beal’s tenure in Phoenix hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, he holds the cards when it comes to his future. Beal has a no-trade clause, so he controls any potential destination that would come up. With that in mind, a Booker-Beal backcourt could continue to be in place for the franchise.
The Suns also don’t really have a ton to offer in terms of the secondary assets contending teams might want. Perhaps Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale could fetch something on the trade market, but there’s no young talent, nor many first-round picks to speak of in the team’s arsenal.
Whether Bryant or Ott land the Suns job, they’ll likely have an uphill battle to shape this roster into a contender given its current state.