3 Phoenix Suns head coach candidates after Mike Budenholzer firing

The Phoenix Suns have made NBA headlines as they parted ways with their Head Coach Mike Budenholzer as per ESPN.

3 Phoenix Suns head coach candidates after Mike Budenholzer firing

Mike Budenholzer

The Phoenix Suns had been playing poor basketball all season. Despite having stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, the Suns dropped games. This led to the side missing out on the NBA Playoffs and the NBA Play-in tournament, raising concerns about their HC Mike Budenholzer’s coaching.

Now the concerns were put to bed by the Suns’ management after they sacked Budenholzer recently as reported by ESPN. Suns general manager James Jones, CEO Josh Bartelstein, and owner Mat Ishbia are switching coaches for the third straight offseason. The Phoenix Suns’ final performance in the NBA was 36-46 this 2024-25 season, capping off one of their worst finishes in the league.

Last summer, Budenholzer agreed to a five-year, $50 million contract with the Suns, who recruited him because of his winning track record and cunning on both sides of the floor. However, his time at the Suns has been nothing but poor as they did not win anything in his time at the franchise.

According to insiders, Budenholzer struggled to get in touch with the locker room this season, and team executives concluded that the squad was not in good books with the 2021 NBA title coach. For instance, their star man Kevin Durant was looking to leave the franchise during the February trade deadline.

Before he made it apparent in league circles that he was unwilling to want to rejoin his previous team, Durant was on the verge of being traded to the Golden State Warriors during the February trade deadline. Next season, he will be in the last year of his contract. However, with Budenholzer gone, he may choose to stay.

Now with the Suns sacking their head coach, a huge question arises, who will replace him?

It’s safe to say that there are top candidates available for the Suns management to ponder upon going into the offseason. So, let us take a look at the top 3 candidates that can replace Mike Budenholzer at the helm of the Phoenix Suns:

1. Michael Malone

Despite winning a championship in 2023, the Denver Nuggets took the stunning decision to remove head coach Michael Malone and CEO Calvin Booth. Like Mike Budenholzer did while managing the Bucks, Malone has championship experience, which will make him an intriguing contender for any coaching position.

In addition, Malone is a well-respected coach with a top winning % with the Nuggets. He also comes with the experience of managing high-profile stars like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for the Nuggets. This is something the Suns’ management will look into before making a decision.

2. Steve Nash

Steve Nash, who competed for the Suns from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2004 to 2012, is one of the coaches who might make some sense if the team decides to seek outside the organization. The two-time NBA MVP is a renowned professional who achieved great success as a guard, much like many NBA legends in the sport.

From 2005 to 2008, he played for the Suns with Phoenix executive James Jones. However, it is still unclear what Jones’s future with the team will be. Nevertheless, the Suns could yet consider Nash as an exciting option to look into.

Notably, Nash is also a co-host on LeBron James’ Mind the Games Podcast, so he will have to quit that role if the Suns decide to make him their new Head Coach.

3. Todd Golden

Todd Golden, the head coach of the Florida Gators and recent NCAA national champion, is one wildcard the Suns may take into consideration. Golden might try to build on his incredibly successful men’s collegiate basketball season by moving on to the national basketball league.

Given that Golden is originally from Phoenix, his ties to Arizona may make him a particularly appealing choice.