The Phoenix Suns had high hopes when piecing together a star-studded roster led by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. After Frank Vogel managed to get 49 wins out of that core in 2024, the Suns felt a coaching change was necessary, leading to Mike Budenholzer’s hiring.
Yet, the two-time NBA Coach of the Year hasn’t been able to maintain or improve upon coach Vogel’s momentum, leading to a disappointing season resulting in fewer than 38 wins. While the Suns were able to finish sixth in the Western Conference and earn a playoff spot in 2024, there won’t be any postseason basketball in Phoenix in 2025.
Budenholzer was hired with the hope that he’d make an impact in Phoenix, but after a down year, could the Suns be looking for their third head coach in as many seasons?
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Phoenix Suns expected to fire Mike Budenholzer soon
Mike Budenholzer may be a highly respected head coach with an NBA championship and over 500 wins on his resume, but it’s not working out with the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, there’s “widespread anticipation throughout the league” that Budenholzer will be fired after the regular season concludes.
The Suns were officially eliminated from the playoffs with their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, which was far from the expectation when the season tipped off.
Needless to say, frustration is mounting in Phoenix ahead of an offseason that’s expected to bring significant changes to the core, possibly even Kevin Durant getting traded. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro adds that there’s a “zero percent chance” that Bradley Beal returns in 2026 too.
While roster changes could eventually be in the works, the Suns will have their work cut out for them, trying to find the right coaching fit to maximize their core.
