Suns half methods with coach Mike Budenholzer after 1 season

Mike Budenholzer, who’s a 2-time Coach of the Yr winner, is out in Phoenix after 1 season.

The Phoenix Suns shall be looking for a brand new coach once more within the offseason after firing coach Mike Budenholzer.

The group introduced Monday it had relieved Budenholzer of his duties and launched the next assertion: “Competing on the highest degree stays our purpose, and we failed to fulfill expectations this season. Our followers deserve higher. Change is required.”

OFFICIAL: The Phoenix Suns introduced right now that the group has relieved head coach Mike Budenholzer of his duties.

The Suns launched the next assertion:
Competing on the highest degree stays our purpose, and we failed to fulfill expectations this season. Our followers deserve…

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 14, 2025

Phoenix will now start looking for a coach for the fourth time within the final 4 seasons. The Suns misplaced 9 of their final 10 video games, failing to qualify for the SoFi Play-In Match.

The 55-year-old Budenholzer was employed in Might, changing Frank Vogel, who additionally had a one-year tenure that resulted in disappointment. Coach Bud — an Arizona native — received an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, beating the Suns in six video games within the Finals, and the hope was he may lastly carry a championship to the desert.

Nonetheless, the Suns struggled with accidents and inconsistent play all season, ending 36-46 and lacking the postseason solely.

The season began with optimism after the Suns jumped to an 8-1 report, however star ahead Kevin Durant went down with a calf pressure that knocked the group right into a tailspin. Even after the 15-time All-Star returned to the lineup just a few weeks later, Phoenix was by no means capable of recapture its early momentum.

Budenholzer couldn’t appear to decide on an everyday enjoying rotation with rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro enjoying massive minutes one evening earlier than being benched the following. Veteran middle Jusuf Nurkic had an terrible begin to the season — and complained a couple of lack of communication with Budenholzer — earlier than being traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

Durant and guard Devin Booker stayed comparatively wholesome for a lot of the season, however swingman Bradley Beal had fixed harm points and missed greater than 20 video games within the common season for a sixth straight 12 months.

The Suns tried to retool on the commerce deadline, however Beal’s no-trade clause and the group’s wage cap standing above the second apron made making any main strikes troublesome.

Budenholzer’s departure probably signifies main upcoming roster upheaval for a group that’s underachieved for 3 straight seasons. Proprietor Mat Ishbia has deep pockets and a want to win, however virtually each transfer he’s made since taking on the group in February 2023 has backfired.

Budenholzer didn’t coach within the NBA in 2023-24 and coached the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-18 and has a 520-363 report over 11 seasons.

Data from The Related Press was used on this report.