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New Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer will not retain the assistant coaches previously on Frank Vogel’s staff heading into the 2024-25 season, according to Chris Haynes of TNT Sports.
The Suns fired Vogel this week and quickly replaced him, officially hiring Budenholzer on Saturday. It appears he’ll be remodeling the entire coaching staff behind him.
The Suns reportedly committed five years and more than $50 million to Budenholzer, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, after signing Vogel to a five-year, $31 million deal last offseason. The Suns are still on the hook for the final four years of that contract.
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Statement from Mike Budenholzer: “I am honored to be named head coach of the Phoenix Suns, the team I grew up watching. I would like to thank Mat Ishbia, Josh Bartelstein and James Jones for the opportunity to lead this team. pic.twitter.com/ep0mUJ21s7
They are also on the hook for two years and $105.8 million to Kevin Durant, four years and $221 million to Devin Booker and at least two more years and $103.8 million to Bradley Beal. The Suns will likely be paying Beal in the 2026-27 season as well, however, as he has an astronomical $57.1 million player option that season he assuredly will exercise.
The Suns need to figure out how to get those three playing high-level basketball together while finding a way to surround them with a viable supporting cast. Making wholesale changes won’t be easy, however.
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow
“Mike Budenholzer was probably the most accomplished Head Coach on the market..
The Suns had to figure out a way to maximize Durant, Booker & Beal offensively..
They’re nailing down that contract right now & the plan is to hire him in the coming days”@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/mkvqfbKdwK
Beal’s huge contract, paired with a no-trade clause, makes him virtually un-tradable. Booker isn’t going anywhere unless he demands a change in scenery. Durant is the player they could most realistically deal, though it’s hard to imagine they would get back a package that would keep them in the championship hunt (he remains an elite scorer, even at 35).
That trio alone will make $150.6 million in salary next season. And that’s where tweaking the roster around them becomes difficult, even if the Suns desperately need a true point guard and rim-protecting center, alongside more depth in general.
Should the front office fail to address the team’s roster needs, Budenholzer will face some very real challenges next season. Others will include revitalizing Beal, who is coming off his worst season in years, or creating a fluid offensive system that allows all three stars the chance to shine.
Rachel Nichols @Rachel__Nichols
The Suns are replacing Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer, but it’s hard to see what substantively changes considering how limited Phoenix’s roster is right now. Bud’s real best hope is that this team gets a lot healthier next year, but even then, would you pick them in the West? pic.twitter.com/orF2x3naFF
The Suns went 49-33 in the 2023-24 campaign, earning the sixth seed before getting swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was a disappointment, to say the least, costing Vogel and his staff their jobs.
Budenholzer represents a fresh start. But he certainly has his work cut out for him.
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