Mike Budenholzer is the latest NBA coach to be fired as the Phoenix Suns announced they are parting ways with him after just one season in charge.
The team announced Budenholzer’s departure in a short, terse statement on Monday. “Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season,” the statement said. “Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”
The move was unsurprising after the Suns missed the postseason, despite the presence of All-Stars such as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns lost nine of their last 10 games to slump to a 36-46 record, meaning they finished 11th in the Western Conference, three wins short of a place in the play-in tournament. That snapped a four-season run of postseason appearances for Phoenix, including a run to the NBA finals in 2020-21, when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks that season were coached by Budenholzer.
Budenholzer was hired in May, replacing Frank Vogel, who also had a one-year tenure that ended in disappointment. It was hoped that Budenholzer – an Arizona native – could finally bring a championship to the desert. He didn’t come close.
The season started with optimism after the Suns jumped to an 8-1 record, but Durant went down with a calf strain that knocked the team into a tailspin. Even after the 15-time All-Star returned to the lineup a few weeks later, Phoenix were unable to recapture their early momentum.
Budenholzer couldn’t seem to settle on a regular playing rotation with rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro playing big minutes one night before being benched the next. Veteran center Jusuf Nurkic had an awful start to the season – and complained about a lack of communication with Budenholzer – before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Booker and Durant stayed relatively healthy for most of the season, but Beal had constant injury issues and missed more than 20 games in the regular season for a sixth straight year. The Suns tried to retool at the trade deadline, but Beal’s no-trade clause and the team’s salary cap status above the second apron made making any major moves difficult.
Budenholzer’s departure signifies major upcoming roster upheaval for a team who have underachieved for three straight seasons. Owner Mat Ishbia has deep pockets and a desire to win, but almost every move he has made since taking over the team in February 2023 has backfired.
Budenholzer has a 520-363 career record over 11 NBA seasons with the Hawks, Bucks and Suns.
Budenholzer’s departure comes a week after the Denver Nuggets fired their coach, Michael Malone.
