The Suns commenced what is becoming an annual NBA tradition on Monday, firing their head coach, Mike Budenholzer, and starting up a coaching search for the third consecutive year.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has fired three coaches since purchasing the team in late 2022, dismissing Monty Williams, Frank Vogel and now Budenholzer. The latter two only lasted one season in Phoenix.
This time, the Suns face a truly uncertain offseason. Bradley Beal is rumored to be on the way out, while Kevin Durant found himself at the center of trade speculation ahead of February’s deadline and could get a fresh start as well. Even if Devin Booker wants to stick around, the Suns have work to do to rebuild themselves into a contender — whether Ishbia has the patience to see that through is still uncertain.
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Here are the top candidates to replace Budenholzer and take over the Suns next season.
Suns best coaching candidates
Willie Green
Green instantly emerged as the most obvious choice for the Suns, though he remains the Pelicans’ head coach at least until a new head of basketball operations decides his fate. New Orleans fired president David Griffin after its 21-61 season ended, so Green’s fate is uncertain at best.
If the Pelicans decide to move on, Green has the connections to make himself a prime candidate in Phoenix. He has a close relationship with Devin Booker from his time as an assistant under Monty Williams, and he also has a relationship with fellow Michigan native Ishbia. Green was identified by insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer as a candidate for the Suns even before the job opened up.
Green’s fourth season with the Pelicans was a dud, but New Orleans won 49 games in 2023-24 and was ravaged by injuries this year. Given Green’s Ishbia connection may earn him some rare patience in Phoenix, a fresh start with the Suns could be wise for all sides.
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Michael Malone
The Suns just hired back-to-back championship-winning coaches and fired both after only one season. Conventional wisdom would tell you Phoenix would not go back to the same well, but very little of what the Suns have done under Ishbia has been conventional.
Malone is a proven winner, helping usher in a golden age of Nuggets basketball with Nikola Jokic and winning the NBA Finals in 2023. Denver’s struggles this season are likely more the product of poor roster construction than Malone’s failings, though the Denver Post reported players “grew tired” of Malone’s fiery ways.
After Malone clashed with GM Calvin Booth in Denver, a partnership with a meddling owner and a franchise with an uncertain future might not make the most sense — if he just wants to get back to coaching, though, the Suns are a top option right now.
MORE: Why the Suns fired Mike Budenholzer after one season
Taylor Jenkins
Like Malone in Denver, Jenkins was shockingly fired by the Grizzlies late in the season and figures to land another head coaching gig sooner rather than later. He can afford to wait for the right opportunity, which might not bode well for the Suns given their uncertain future, but it would not be surprising to see Phoenix show interest in Jenkins.
Jenkins went 250-214 in nearly six seasons with the Grizzlies, guiding Memphis to the No. 2 seed in the West in back-to-back seasons and largely bouncing back this season after injuries derailed the team in 2023-24.
MORE: Why did the Grizzlies fire Taylor Jenkins?
Becky Hammon
The Suns are not afraid to go bold, if their acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal — or their willingness to fire coaches left and right — are any indication. Hiring Hammon would be a bold step, as she would be the first female head coach in NBA history.
It’s tough to doubt Hammon’s qualifications. After a long WNBA career, she spent seven seasons as an assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio before returning to the WNBA as head coach of the Las Vegas Aces. Hammon is 87-29 with the Aces with two championships in three seasons.
The Suns aren’t afraid to take risks and make headlines under Ishbia. That mentality hasn’t paid off yet, but it could make Hammon a candidate in Phoenix.
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Jared Dudley
The Suns went completely outside the organization by hiring Vogel and Budenholzer, but neither move worked. If Phoenix prefers a coach with close ties to the franchise and Green isn’t the choice, Jared Dudley is an intriguing option.
Dudley had two stints with the Suns as a player, spending a total of seven seasons in Phoenix, and he has earned respect as an assistant under Jason Kidd for the last four seasons in Dallas. Before the front office debacle this season, the Mavericks overachieved plenty under Kidd, reaching the NBA Finals just a year ago.
If the Suns want an up-and-coming assistant with experience winning and close ties to the organization and the city, Dudley fits the bill.
Sam Cassell
Another former Suns player, though only for 22 games, Sam Cassell has long been one of the NBA’s most respected assistant coaches. Cassell has paid his dues, as this season is his 17th on an NBA bench, and he was part of winning teams with the Clippers, 76ers and Celtics, finally winning a championship as part of Joe Mazzulla’s staff last season.
Cassell has been waiting a long time to become a head coach, and a Suns job that might scare off choosy candidates would likely be one that the ever-qualified Cassell is willing to accept.
