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The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Monty Williams, according to ESPN.
The Suns were expected to make a deep run in the Western Conference playoffs after finishing fourth in the regular season and adding one of the best scorers in the game, Kevin Durant, before the trade deadline.
Instead, the Denver Nuggets, the No. 1 seed, handled the Suns in six games and advanced while Phoenix was sent home.
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Head coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns before Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets May 9, 2023, at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
Now, the Suns have made the move to look elsewhere for a head coach, which comes as a bit of a surprise with Williams winning NBA Coach of the Year in 2022.
The 2021 Suns reached the NBA Finals but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Williams has the most wins among head coaches in the NBA since 2021. He owned a 194-115 record with the Suns.
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New Suns owner Mat Ishbia made the decision to fire Williams, his second big move since acquiring the organization along with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA on Dec. 20.
He also signed off on the trade for Durant, which sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a pick swap to the Brooklyn Nets to make a splash he thought worthy enough for a championship run.
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes also reported that one front-office executive and two scouts were let go from the organization as well.
Devin Booker #1 stands with head coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets in game six of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Footprint Center on May 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
As Phoenix begins their new head coaching search, they will have to battle the Bucks and Toronto Raptors who fired Mike Budenholzer and Nick Nurse respectively.
A head coaching search adds to an offseason that may be quite interesting for the Suns, as they deliberate what to do with their roster. The talent is certainly there with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker leading the way, and they have respective cap hits of $47.65 million and $36.02 million.
DeAndre Ayton is also locked in until 2026, but some speculate that the Suns may want to move him to make way for a more well-rounded team. One report stated that they would “aggressively” look to shop Ayton, who signed a four-year, $132.93 million deal for last season.
And then there’s Chris Paul, the 38-year-old point guard who suffered a groin injury and couldn’t finish the series with the Nuggets. He has a $30 million team option for next season.
Head Coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns looks on during Game Six of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets on May 11, 2023 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Lots of flux going on in the organization, as Phoenix continues to search for a championship. They’ll need to find a new head coach first.
