Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea make their introductions
Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory introduces the team’s 2025 draft picks: Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea.
Phoenix Suns first-year head coach Jordan Ott’s coaching staff is taking shape.
Brian Randle has been added to the staff for the 2025-26 season and Chaisson Allen has been retained from Mike Budenholzer’s coaching staff, league sources have informed The Arizona Republic.
“When you’re on staffs, you know when you’re on a really good staff,” Ott said Tuesday, July 8, at the team’s practice facility. “My last handful of years, I was blessed to be on really, really good staffs. We all got along. No egos. Everyone tried to help each other and then, it’s a long season. You want to appreciate and like who you’re with on your coaching staff. I’ve tried to be really diligent in that here.”
Ott will be Phoenix’s fourth head coach in four seasons. His approach to building a staff has been one centered around hard work and creating a winning culture.
First-year Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott on building a coaching staff: “I know we’re building something unique here. I want those guys around me that I can lean on because I don’t know what this is exactly going to be. I don’t know all these steps in it. Guys who have been… pic.twitter.com/Xd1u9FOE1p
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) July 8, 2025
“I know we’re building something unique here,” Ott continued. “I want those guys around me that I can lean on because I don’t know what this is exactly going to be. I don’t know all these steps in it. Guys who have been in different programs and even myself. So I’ve tried to broaden my scope a little bit, but also the piece of ingraining yourself with the guys and how we’re going to build this environment, have a feel for what exactly that vibe and environment should feel like on a day-to-day basis is really important.”
Ott concluded by saying, “I think you’ll see us on the court more. You’re going to see some coaches out there building sweat equity with our players through player development, through practice. We are all in this together. Knowing that on the front end, I’ve taken my time to try to build this thing out right.”
Randle and Allen were at mini-camp practice Monday, July 7, at the team’s practice facility as the Suns prepare for NBA Summer League July 10-20 in Las Vegas.
Phoenix opens summer league play July 11 against the Washington Wizards at Thomas & Mack Center.
Randle was a previous assistant with the Suns for three seasons (2020-23) under Monty Williams. He served as an assistant with the Washington Wizards last season under Brian Keefe.
Allen coached last season in Phoenix under Budenholzer, who was fired after one season in which the Suns won just 36 games and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season, which was the last time they had a losing record.
DeMarre Carroll will also serve as an assistant to Ott and be the head coach of their summer league team.
“It’s great,” Carroll said. “Obviously we want to kind of change the identity here. We want to compete at a high level. These guys have been doing it. The past two days, they’ve been competing at a high level.”
“It’s great. Obviously we want to kind of change the identity here. We want to compete at a high level. These guys have been doing it. The past two days, they’ve been competing at a high level.”
Suns assistant DeMarre Carroll on approach to Summer League as he’ll be head coach.… pic.twitter.com/A2ONECcwko
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) July 8, 2025
Carroll and Ott worked together as assistants in Cleveland last season under 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson and with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24 under Darvin Ham.
“It’s great man,” Carroll said about working with Ott again. “He’s really helped me throughout my path, especially as a player and as a coach.”
Carroll played 11 NBA seasons with eight teams. Ott was Carroll’s player development coach when he played for the Brooklyn Nets for two seasons (2017-19).
“(Ott) helped my career, extend my career a little bit longer,” Carroll said. “In the coaching world, he’s been phenomenal. He’s been giving me a lot of responsibility, helping me, coaching me through the computer stuff, all those types of things, the Xs and Os. He’s been great. I consider him one of my best friends. He’s been great for me.”
Carroll’s final NBA season was 2019-20. Three seasons later, Carroll served as an assistant in Milwaukee in 2022-23 under Budenholzer, who coached him in Atlanta for two seasons (2013-15).
“(Carroll) has a different way about him,” Ott said. “He has a positive outlook on life. He chose to come into coaching after playing, which I think is unique. Knows he has growth ahead. I’ve seen him take steps as a player and now as a coach. I’m lucky to have him here. We’re lucky to have him here, but I’m also lucky to see him at different spots in his career and really in life. I’m excited for his next step and our next step together.”
Randle is returning to Phoenix. He was part of the 2020-21 team that reached the 2021 finals and won a franchise-record 64 games the following 2021-22 season.
Randle was previously a player development coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2019-20). After his three-year run with the Suns, Randle followed Williams to Detroit for the 2023-24 season.
The Pistons fired Williams after one season following their worst season in franchise history, which ended with just 14 victories.
Allen had previously worked as head coach and assistant in the G League from 2018 to 2024. He worked as an assistant for the Long Island Nets when Ott was an assistant in Brooklyn.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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