Suns fire coach Mike Budenholzer after one season - ESPN

After missing the NBA playoffs and play-in tournament with the largest payroll in league history, the Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer, the team announced Monday.

«Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season. Our fans deserve better. Change is needed,» the team said in a statement.

For the third consecutive offseason, Suns owner Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and general manager James Jones are changing coaches. Phoenix finished 36-46.

Budenholzer had issues connecting with the locker room this season, with team officials concluding that the roster failed to respond to the 2021 NBA championship coach, sources said. Budenholzer's inability to coexist with his players centered around the franchise's cornerstone, Devin Booker, and went down the roster, those sources said.

The Suns will now hold a wide-ranging coaching search, sources said.

Budenholzer accepted the Suns' job on a five-year, $50 million contract last offseason — hired for his winning pedigree and schemes on both sides of the court.

The Suns became the third team in NBA history to start 8-1 or better and miss the playoffs, joining the 1970-71 Detroit Pistons and 2001-02 Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN Research. In March and April, the Suns lost eight straight games all by double digits, which was the most consecutive losses by 10-plus points in franchise history.

A year after winning 49 games, earning the sixth seed and being the No. 13 defensive team under Frank Vogel in 2023-24, the Suns ranked as the third-worst team in the NBA in defensive efficiency this season — including the second worst since the All-Star break, according to ESPN Research.

The Suns were 26-15 when Booker, Kevin