Head coach Mike Budenholzer wouldn’t speculate on his future after the Suns were officially eliminated from postseason contention with their eighth straight loss on Wednesday.
“It’s pretty raw right now, it’s pretty fresh,” Budenholzer said, per ESPN News Services. “It’s been tough. There’s no doubt about it. We haven’t been as good as we’ve needed to be and expected to be.”
Budenholzer was signed to a five-year, $50MM contract last spring after Frank Vogel was dismissed. Vogel lasted just one season with the franchise and Monty Williams was fired after the 2022/23 season, shortly after Mat Ishbia became the primary owner. Firing Budenholzer would mean four different head coaches in four seasons.
Budenholzer has been in frequent contact with Ishbia.
“He’s always pushing us to win. To try to find ways to win. He’s ultra competitive. It’s always very consistent from him,” Budenholzer said, as Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.
Devin Booker said after the 125-112 loss to the Thunder that there’s plenty of blame to go around for the team’s collapse.
“There’s not one thing or one person or one player or one coach that’s the problem,” Booker said. “When you’ve had a season this bad, it’s a bunch of things. I think the most frustrating part is being that close a few years ago, and now being back to where we are.”
We have more on the league’s most disappointing team:
- A lack of defensive discipline and toughness was a major reason why the Suns floundered, according to The Atheltic’s Doug Haller and Amos Morale III. With the payroll far above the second tax apron, the Suns were unable to make significant moves to improve the roster. Their failed attempt to acquire Jimmy Butler highlighted that point.
- Kevin Durant was unavailable once again on Wednesday. He hasn’t played this month due to an ankle injury. “He’s making progress but regardless of wins and losses, we’ve got to see if he’s healthy,” Budenholzer said, per Rankin (Twitter link). “I don’t think there may even be a decision to make, but we’ll see how he does over the next 24 to 48 hours.” All signs point to Durant being traded this offseason, Rankin writes.
- Phoenix is just the latest example of a franchise that made reckless moves and sacrificed future success for fleeting short-term gains rather than exercising patience, The Athletic’s John Hollinger opines. The Suns have traded all of their own draft picks through 2031 and have the league’s worst contract, according to Hollinger, who notes that Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause and is still owed more than $110MM over the next two seasons. The only real solution, Hollinger says, is to trade both Booker and Durant for draft capital and start a complete rebuild.
I agree with Holinger and that last little section in the article.
You know they’re going to trade Durant, may as well trade Booker also and get some draft picks back.
Time to start over. You can even get valuable assets back for some of the other players, and well I don’t know about Nick Richards. Hopefully.., Unless he’s young enough and skilled enough to keep?
There’s just no way you can fire Mike B. unless you’re just flush with money and don’t care about wasting $40 million. Then sure go ahead and hire a fired up young guy. Is that Duke coach NBA material? I like him. Or another hot shot Assistant in the NBA?
Booker isn’t going anywhere. Makes 0 sense to trade him, he’s still young and an elite player. Not to mention we likely aren’t rebuilding, we are going to attempt (and probably fail) at building around KD and Book. There’s 0 chance Beal stays a sun- if he isn’t traded, we are buying him out and eating the cost. Even if we rebuild, Booker is staying. Dunn, Oso, Collin and Richards stay with everyone else going.
I think most NBA people would disagree with you. Has Booker said that he wants to stay a Sun even if they are in a rebuild? He already tasted the NBA finals, I would imagine he would want to go play for a contender
Wadr, it makes no sense to keep Booker, regardless of how attached to him some Suns fans seem to be. They just aren’t winning with him and haven’t made a deep playoff run in a while with him as the centerpiece.
Despite what some are saying about KD returning yet another strong package of assets, I don’t see it at his age. He clearly did not have the juice to push the Suns over the top, so why would anyone else think he vaults them? Nope, but Booker who is many years younger would have to have more value even though he’s building the reputation as a stat padder, if there is such a thing.
I’d have to believe that Book nets them a good return package. And they may as well deal both players if they’re going to deal any. They need to press the reset button as much as anyone.
Kevin Durant is the problem and it’s obvious. Stats never show the whole picture. Addition by subtraction in the offseason. Question is whether Durant’s contract is under water already?
Do you even watch basketball? Our season started going downhill the minute he went out. Please look at our record with just KD/Booker, and without KD/Booker. Beal is the problem, and it should be very obviously. You KD haters are just a different level of stupid…
Isibia is a fool. It will be a long time till the suns are relevant again. Booker and Durant traded is the only way to go . Lots of one year deals. We shall see.
Booker isn’t going anywhere
You would have thought the disaster that happened to the Nets trying to buy a title would have given the new owner of the Suns pause before making all his bad moves. But super rich people always have grandiose thoughts.
The nets were quite literally half an inch away from a title. Not to mention Ishbia has made one bad move, that being the Beal trade.
Nets biggest mistake was acquiring Harden. That was the move that started the downward spiral. Yeah there was initial success but they would have had sustained success had they kept Jarrett Allen, CLV and all their picks.
KD to DC this summer let’s get it. I been wanting this to happen since he was in Seattle. If I’m Phoenix I feel like Middleton, Kispert, AJ, Holmes & a couple of 1sts should be enough for KD & Grayson..
Wiz become one of the better teams in the East by replacing 1 aging future HOFer with injury concerns with a much better one. They give up on AJ pretty quickly & give up 2 1sts but they’d also get off Holmes contract & upgrade their shooter (Kispert to Allen). As we saw this past yr KD is still one of the best forwards in the world. DC would be lucky to get him for so little
And Phoenix would retool around Book by resigning Tyus if at all possible & moving KD for both win now & future assets. Middleton could start next to Book but I’d rather bring him off the bench with his youngster AJ Johnson. Tyus/Book/Dunn/Royce/Richards is a serviceable starting 5 that could lead this team to the playoffs with the right coaching. But a 2nd unit of AJ, Cody, Middleton, Kispert, Holmes & possibly Bol could be a major strength for them. DC would prob only give up their worst future 1st rd picks but getting any 1sts would be a major plus for Phx at this point.
Depending on where DC ends up in the lottery (let’s say they drop to 5th), their opening night lineup could look like Smart/Poole/Coulibaly/KD/Sarr with Bub, Grayson, Saddiq, Kyshawn, Queen & others off bench. If they can bring former KD teammate/Big East legend Steven Adams to DC they would be set up pretty nicely
Wizards would have no reason to make that deal. They are not a KD away from contending. They have direction of young players and development. Once the young guys are ready then make a deal(1-2 seasons from now). 0 chance this happens especially for that package. AJ is a steal and could develop. We owe a 2026 top 8 (I believe pick) so it’s gonna be one more year of development and deals for future picks. Smart and Middleton will be dealt for late 1sts and Corey K in a similar deal to what they did with Deni. KD has probably 5 legit teams that would trade for him and they all are in the playoffs
One post, then chill for a bit man.
It gets worse for Phoenix. I totally forgot that the 1st rounder this year goes to Houston which is currently at 9. They can easily stock pile more talent such as Jeremiah Fears or Derik Queen or even get another shooter like Liam McNeeley for that young roster.
Devin Booker will want out pretty soon. This franchise is obsolete soon enough.
Same guy convinced the Michigan State Spartans to sign Mel Tucker to a $100 million contract and then started backing out once Mel was fired. he owes mel money and Mel said if he doesn’t pay right away, he’ll place a lien on the franchise.
wish I could have been in the sun’s board room when they were discussing what a good fit Beal would be
Booker shouldn’t be traded. Trade KD and Beal, or buy out Beal if he exercises the no trade clause.
KD will be very very coveted in the trade market, as he still is an elite forward, who can put a team in position to win a championship.
If Booker asks for a trade, trade everyone, I don’t see KD staying in that scenario either
If you don’t trade Booker for some assets like first round picks, you will be delaying or only going halfway to a rebuild and the suns will be 500 team at best for years to come.
You’ve gotta break this down and hit bottom if you ever wanna get back to the top. Booker has to go this summer if Durant goes.
KD to Miami works.