APRIL 17th, 7:45pm: Wojnarowski is now reporting that Budenholzer met with Suns management and ownership today and yesterday, and a sense is expected to emerge soon whether there is a pathway to Budenholzer becoming the Suns’ next head coach.
APRIL 14th, 9:06am: The Hawks granted Mike Budenholzer permission to interview with the Suns for their head coaching vacancy, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Budenholzer, the Hawks’ current head coach, still has two years and $13MM+ left on his contract.
A native of Holbrook, Arizona, Budenholzer plans to meet with Suns officials early next week.
Budenholzer, 48, has been Atlanta’s head coach since 2013, leading the team to a 213-197 record in that span. He won Coach of the Year for the 2014/15 season, a year in which the Hawks went 60-22 and went to the Eastern Conference finals.
This season, the Hawks entered a rebuilding stage by cutting payroll and gathering young assets under general manager Travis Schlenk. The team went just 24-58, coming in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Budenholzer is among several candidates the Suns plan to interview, Wojnarowski notes. Interim head coach Jay Triano, who took over after the dismissal of Earl Watson, will also be considered. The Suns finished in last place in the Western Conference, going 21-61, the worst record in the league.
Hire Budenholzer NOW. This would be a gift and the turnaround would be underway.
Booker, Chriss, Jackson, and Warren with coach Budenholtzer would be one heck of a start for the Suns. They need to pounce on this.
Those players plus three picks in the top 17? Pretty great start.
2 picks. Bucks keep theirs
Bucks should hire him unless we win it all, which isn’t going to happen.
Why would we let Bud leave? Makes no sense, he’s a great coach. This whole ‘I didn’t hire this guy or I didn’t draft this guy so they’re no good’ mentality from GMs and Coaches alike gets really really old…
I finally figured out who he looks like: Conrad Bain