The Phoenix Suns have named Mike Budenholzer as their next head coach, replacing Frank Vogel. The team announced on Saturday. Budenholzer has coached the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks in the past and won a championship for Milwaukee in the 2020-21 season. However, after being upset by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2022-23 season, the Bucks released him. He took this season off, but is now back with another star-studded roster.
Budenholzer has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract that could see him earn more than $50 million. Athlete Shams Sarania. Meanwhile, Suns lead assistant coach David Fisdale is expected to move to a new front-office role for the team, reports said.
The Suns have hired their third head coach in three years under new owner Matt Ishbia, who had Monty Williams as his team leader when he took over the team in February 2023. Williams was eventually eliminated after losing in the second round. The champion Denver Nuggets, who were released, eventually took over the Detroit Pistons. The Suns could have hired Budenholzer at the time, but went with former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel instead.
Vogel’s solo season in Phoenix It was a disappointment compared to Ishbia’s lofty expectations. Despite injuries that limited the number of games Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant could play together, Vogel led the Suns to 49 wins and a 6th place finish in the Western Conference. However, once there, they were eliminated from the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. After-the-fact reports suggested that Vogel lost the locker room, and that Durant was particularly unhappy about his role in the Suns’ offense.
Now Budenholzer will take over a Suns team unlike any of his previous rosters. In Atlanta, he led a ragtag group of role players to 60 wins as they fit in well and played in a team-first offense. Now he has three stars of very similar abilities. In Milwaukee, it was all based on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ability to get to the basket and the 3-pointers he made. His Suns roster is one of the most mid-heavy shooting teams NBA Last season, Budenholzer’s teams rarely took shots.
Finding the balance will be tricky, but Budenholzer was the only championship-winning coach on the market this offseason aside from Vogel. As we saw with Vogel a season ago, the Suns aren’t looking for a developmental coach. They want to win now, so they hire the most talented coach in the market.
