The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Monty Williams, according to ESPN.
The Suns were expected to make a deep Western Conference playoff run after finishing fourth in the regular season and adding one of the game’s top scorers, Kevin Durant, before the trade deadline.
Instead, the No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets managed the Suns in six games and advanced while Phoenix was sent home.
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Head coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns before Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets on May 9, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
Now, the Suns have made the decision to look elsewhere for a head coach, which comes as a bit of a surprise with Williams winning NBA Coach of the Year in 2022.
The 2021 Suns reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Williams has the most wins among head coaches in the NBA since 2021. He had a 194-115 record with the Suns.
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New Suns owner Mat Ishbia has made the decision to fire Williams, his second big move since acquiring the organization along with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury on Dec. 20.
He also signed the Durant trade, which sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a trade pick to the Brooklyn Nets to make an impact he deemed worthy enough for a championship run.
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes also reported that a front office executive and two scouts were also fired from the organization.
Devin Booker #1 with head coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at the Footprint Center on May 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
When Phoenix begins its new head coaching search, they will have to battle the Bucks and Toronto Raptors who fired Mike Budenholzer and Nick Nurse, respectively.
The search for a head coach adds to an offseason that could be quite interesting for the Suns as they deliberate what to do with their roster. The talent is certainly there with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker leading the way, and they have respective salary-cap hits of $47.65 million and $36.02 million.
DeAndre Ayton is also locked up through 2026, but some are speculating the Suns might want to move him to make way for a more complete team. One report indicated they would «aggressively» look to buy Ayton, who signed a four-year, $132.93 million contract for last season.
And then there’s Chris Paul, the 38-year-old point guard who suffered a groin injury and couldn’t finish the series with the Nuggets. He has a $30 million team option for next season.
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams looks on during Game Six of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets on May 11, 2023 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
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There is a lot of change in the organization, as Phoenix continues to search for a championship. First they will have to find a new head coach.