The Phoenix Suns are just starting out on what promises to be a busy offseason.
A year after getting swept out of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns followed up by going 36-46 and finishing as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference.
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There was plenty of blame to go around. The Suns seemingly agreed, as it wasn’t long before they fired head coach Mike Budenholzer.
They also made a change in the front office, appointing Brian Gregory as the new general manager. Previous general manager James Jones was demoted to a senior advisory role.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant dunks against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George during a game at Wells Fargo Center. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Miami Heat coach “made impression” on Phoenix Suns
Plenty of changes are still to come, but now that they’re front office is situated, the Suns are actively looking for a new head coach.
According to Evan Sidery, an NBA contributor for Forbes, the Suns were recently impressed with Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn, stating that he made the next round of Phoenix’s current candidates.
Once a coach is in place, Gregory will likely start exploring the different avenues of what a trade with Kevin Durant involved would look like.
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Working closely with owner Mat Ishbia, they’ll have to decide whether they want to stay competitive in the Western Conference next season, or if it’s time for a rebuild.
Durant or Devin Booker would likely be their best possibilities of recouping some of the draft picks they sent out to acquire Durant and Bradley Beal.
While anyone could become available for the right price, it’s highly unlikely any team looked at Beal’s play this past season and was impressed. On top of that, Beal is the only player in the NBA besides LeBron James who has a no-trade clause in their contract.
This offseason will be a telling one regarding the immediate and distant future of the Suns.