The Phoenix Suns are off the NBA coaching carousel after finding their man.
The team will reportedly hire Frank Vogel as its next head coach.
Vogel’s last job was as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, where they won the NBA title in 2020. After the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2021-22, he and the organization parted ways.
ESPN notes that it will be a long-term deal.
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel looks on during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on March 21, 2022 in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Suns fired Monty Williams after four seasons. Williams led the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer, the man who coached them to that championship, after losing their first-round playoff series to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. Williams was also the NBA Coach of the Year in 2021-22.
Williams just signed the richest coaching contract in NBA history with the Detroit Pistons. They agreed to a six-year deal worth $78.5 million, according to ESPN. The Athletic, first to report on Williams’ deal, said team options and incentives could increase the deal to eight years and $100 million.
Before joining the Lakers, Vogel coached the Orlando Magic from 2016 to 2018 and the Indiana Pacers from 2011 to 2016. The Lakers replaced Vogel with Darwin Ham and reached the Western Conference finals.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel argues with a referee during a game with the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 3, 2022. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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 game’s leading scorers, Kevin Durant, before the trade deadline. But they were rebounded by the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, who are now heavy favorites to win the Finals, especially after a Game 1 win on Thursday.
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New Suns owner Mat Ishbia has made the decision to fire Williams, his second big move since acquiring the organization along with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury on Dec. 20.
He also signed the Durant trade, which sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a pick trade to the Brooklyn Nets for a championship run.
Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on March 3, 2023 in Chicago. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
DeAndre Ayton is also locked up through 2026, but some are speculating the Suns might want to trade him for a more complete team. One report suggested the Suns would «aggressively» seek to buy Ayton, who signed a four-year, $132.93 million contract last season.
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And then there’s Chris Paul, the 38-year-old point guard who strained his groin and couldn’t finish the series with the Nuggets. He has a $30 million team option for next season.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.