A Cavaliers assistant will reportedly become the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns have narrowed down their coaching search to two finalists, Cavs assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday, June 2, citing unnamed sources.
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Bryant and Ott were hired by the Cavs last summer. They held key roles during the 2024-25 season under first-year Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson.
The Cavs went 64-18 in the regular season, earning the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed before falling 4-1 in the second round to the Indiana Pacers, who will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals starting June 5. Atkinson became NBA Coach of the Year.
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Bryant holds the title of Cavs associate head coach. He is a mentor of Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. They previously worked together as members of the Utah Jazz.
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Ott holds the title of Cavs assistant coach. He is a longtime Atkinson lieutenant. During Atkinson’s previous NBA head coaching job with Brooklyn, Ott was a Nets assistant.
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Here is information from the Cavs about Bryant and Ott:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 16: Associate head coach Johnnie Bryant of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on December 16, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Before Bryant joined the Cavs last year, he spent the previous four seasons as associate head coach of the New York Knicks. Before joining New York, Bryant spent eight seasons with the Utah Jazz, serving as an assistant coach for six seasons (2014-2020) and two seasons as a player development assistant (2012-2014). Additionally, he ran the Bryant Sports Academy for three years (2009-2012), which helped develop the skills of NBA players along with numerous European players. Bryant played college basketball at the University of Utah, leaving the school as the 20th all-time leading scorer (1,301 points) and the leader in three-point field goal percentage (.440) while also earning dual bachelor’s degrees in human development and family studies and sports management. Following his college career, the Oakland, California, native went on to play professionally overseas in Germany.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 18: Summer League head coach Jordan Ott of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of a 2024 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 18, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lakers defeated the Cavaliers 93-89. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Suns coaching search | Cleveland Cavs assistant coach Jordan Ott’s bio
Before joining the Cavs last year, Ott was an assistant coach for the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (2022-2024). Prior to his tenure with the Lakers, Ott served as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets for six seasons (2016-2022), where he worked under Atkinson on the sidelines for his first four years in Brooklyn. Before working as an NBA assistant coach, Ott was the video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2016. He served in the same capacity with the Michigan State men’s basketball program for five seasons (2008-2013) under Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo. Ott received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 2006 and earned his master’s degree from Michigan State in 2008. The McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, native also served as an assistant coach with the Dominican Republic national team in the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City.
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Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Suns coaching finalists are Cavs assistants Johnnie Bryant, Jordan Ott