Suns fire head coach Mike Budenholzer after missing NBA playoffs in his 1st season 

David Brandt · The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 3:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 33 minutes ago

The Phoenix Suns person parted ways with seasoned manager Mike Budenholzer pursuing 1 dismal play that featured a accelerated commencement earlier a maddening descent retired of post-season contention for a high-priced roster that included Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The Suns made the unsurprising announcement connected Monday, 1 time aft the franchise finished with a 36-46 grounds which enactment them 11th successful the NBA's Western Conference.

They mislaid 9 of their past 10 games, failing to suffice for the play-in tournament.

"Competing astatine the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to conscionable expectations this season," the team's abbreviated connection said. "Our fans merit better. Change is needed."

The 55-year-old Budenholzer was hired successful May, replacing Frank Vogel, who besides had a one-year tenure that ended successful disappointment. Coach Bud, an Arizona native, won an NBA rubric with the Milwaukee Bucks successful 2021, beating the Suns successful six games successful the Finals, and the anticipation was helium could yet bring a title to the desert.

He didn't adjacent travel close.

The play started with optimism aft the Suns jumped to an 8-1 record, but Durant went down with a calf strain that knocked the squad into a tailspin. Even aft the 15-time all-star returned to the lineup a fewer weeks later, Phoenix was ne'er capable to recapture its aboriginal momentum.

Budenholzer couldn't look to settee connected a regular playing rotation with rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro playing large minutes 1 nighttime earlier being benched the next. Veteran centre Jusuf Nurkic had an atrocious commencement to the season, and complained astir a deficiency of connection with Budenholzer, earlier being traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

Booker and Durant stayed comparatively steadfast for astir of the season, but Beal had changeless wounded issues and missed much than 20 games successful the regular play for a sixth consecutive year.

The Suns tried to retool astatine the commercialized deadline, but Beal's no-trade clause and the team's wage headdress presumption supra the 2nd apron made making immoderate large moves difficult.

Budenholzer's departure apt signifies large upcoming roster upheaval for a squad that's underachieved for 3 consecutive seasons. Owner Mat Ishbia has heavy pockets and a tendency to win, but astir each determination he's made since taking implicit the squad successful February 2023 has backfired.

Budenholzer has a 520-363 vocation grounds implicit 11 NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Bucks and Suns.