The Phoenix Suns are making a major change in the aftermath of their defeat in the Western Conference Semifinals. According to multiple media reports, the team has made the decision to part ways with head coach Monty Williams, marking the end of a tenure that saw Phoenix make the NBA Finals in 2021 but fail to reach those highs again in each of the last two seasons.
BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns dismissed coach Monty Williams, sources tell ESPN. Williams was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year in four seasons with Suns — including a trip to 2021 NBA Finals. Suns lost 6-game series to Nuggets in Western Semifinals. pic.twitter.com/bfMd6F1RJc
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 14, 2023
New owner Mat Ishbia made decision to fire Williams, who has been the winningest coach in NBA since 2021. Suns have a starry but top-heavy roster with little cap flexibility this summer. The Suns will compete in coaching marketplace with Milwaukee and Toronto now. https://t.co/ElofmYaMDY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 14, 2023
Mat Ishbia and James Jones begin an aggressive offseason solely focused on a championship. And with two top-10 players in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker under contract long-term, an attractive market and driven, dynamic ownership, Suns become the destination coaching job opening. https://t.co/lvdi66CfC3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 14, 2023
The decision to fire Williams comes on the heels of a second consecutive blowout home loss in the conference semis to end their season. Last year, as the top seed in the Western Conference, Phoenix was obliterated by the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 at Footprint Center. While they were the lower seed this time around and were not expected to win the series, the Suns got blown out by the No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets, 125-100, on Thursday night.
Phoenix is one of the most interesting jobs in the league, as a new coach will need to step in and figure out how to make a team work around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Phoenix reportedly will look in to moving Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton this summer, as the team needs to try to rebuild the depth that it lost when it pulled off a major move for Durant at the trade deadline this past season.
The 2022 NBA Coach of the Year, Williams accrued a 194-115 record in four years as the head coach of the Suns.
