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Mike Budenholzer, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, makes a gesture during Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, April 22, 2023. /CFP
The Phoenix Suns will hire Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach on a five-year, $50 million contract, The Athletic reported on Friday.
Only 24 hours ago, the Suns fired Frank Vogel from the role after a disappointing season in which they came in sixth in the Western Conference during the regular season and were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first-round playoffs.
Budenholzer hasn't coached any team since he was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks in May 2023. He has coached two teams, the Atlanta Hawks and the Bucks, in his career, with a 484-317 record. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year twice, in 2015 with the Hawks and in 2019 with the Bucks.
Mike Budenholzer (C), head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, is named the NBA Coach of the Year ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at Philips Arena in Atlanta, George, April 22, 2015. /CFP
In 2021, Budenholzer led the Bucks to win their first NBA championship since 1971, but two years later, they were upset by the East's No. 8 seed, the Miami Heat, in the first round of the postseason. That lost series cost him the job.
There are several characteristics in Budenholzer that might have drawn attention from the Suns. First, he was able to build two different working systems for the two teams he coached. The Hawks under him had one of the best ball-movements in the NBA during the 2014-15 campaign and won 60 games in that regular season. The Bucks were the league's top-five offensive teams in four of their five seasons with him.
One of the Suns' biggest shortcomings this season was the lack of a consistent style. Bradley Beal's injury aside, Vogel never figured out a way for the team's Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Beal to combine their strengths. The Suns' game was monotonous, with the three attacking in isolation by turns. Despite the firepower the three could provide, it was far from enough to make the team a serious title contender.
Mike Budenholzer, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, poses with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the team's 4-2 win over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 20, 2021. /CFP
Budenholzer is also good at managing the load of his star players. Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged no more than 33 minutes per game during the regular seasons under Budenholzer, much shorter than his counterparts on other teams. That's very helpful for him to stay healthy and save strength for more intense competitions in the postseason.
By contrast, Durant, 35, averaged 37.2 minutes per game in the 2023-24 regular season. Booker played 36 minutes per game. Durant suffered multiple serious injuries to his legs. Booker hasn't been the poster boy for endurance in recent years. Considering that teams' rotations are likely to grow shorter in the playoffs, the Suns can't afford to overload them too much in the regular season.
L-R: Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns pose for a photo before the 2023-24 season in Phoenix, Arizona, October 2, 2023. /CFP
However, Budenholzer can't fix all of the Suns' problems. Back in his years with the Hawks, he had two trustworthy big men with universal skills and great basketball IQ in Al Horford and Paul Milsap, a smart orchestrator in Jeff Teague and an epic 3-point shooter in Kyle Korver. The Bucks had a top rim protector in Brook Lopez, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo, an elite isolation scorer in Khris Middleton and a top perimeter defender in Jrue Holiday. In other words, both teams had balanced rosters.
What the Suns have is likely the furthest from the word "balance." They have no true playmaker. Their best defender is Grayson Allen, who is better than average in this circle but never close to either of the two All-Defensive Teams. Their starting center, Jusuf Nurkic, is one of the most terrible finishers among big men. He can fill the paint, but he will become a walking target for star perimeter attackers once he closes out.
Furthermore, the Suns have no assets to improve their squad. According to basketball-reference.com, the team's total salaries for the 2024-25 season will be over $190 million, $150 million of which will go to Booker, Durant and Beal. The shortest one of their contracts is Durant's, which won't expire until the 2025-26 campaign. Beal has a $57.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season when he turns 33. Booker's deal includes no option and will last until the 2027-28 season, when he makes $61.6 million. Meanwhile, after trading heavily for Durant and Beal in the past year, the Suns can't put any of their first-round draft picks before 2031 in any deal. They have no second-rounder of their own until 2030.