Less than 24 hours after dismissing Frank Vogel following a first-round sweep against the Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns are hiring Mike Budenholzer as their next head coach.

On Friday, the two-time Coach of the Year winner agreed to a five-year deal worth over $50 million, according to Shams Charania.

Budenholzer has been a head coach since 2013, where he started with the Atlanta Hawks. In 2015 he aided the Hawks to the top seed in the East and a trip to the conference finals. He joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, where he would coach until 2023.

During his time in Milwaukee, the Bucks would win the 2021 NBA championship. However following this championship the Bucks would lose in the second round in 2022 and then the first round in 2023 to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. The Bucks fired Budenholzer following the loss to Miami.

Mike Budenholzer is also an Arizona native, and served as a longtime assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio prior to becoming a head coach.

What went wrong with Frank Vogel?

As for his fit with the Suns, Budenholzer’s experience in managing stars in Milwaukee should apply to the trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Despite rumors of Booker and Durant potentially getting traded, the move to get an experienced coach in Budenholzer screams “win now.” Especially considering Phoenix fired Vogel just one year into his five year, $31 million contract despite winning 49 games.

Part of Vogel’s dismissal circles towards the locker room perception of him as a coach. According to The Athletic, late in the season he ripped into the locker room attempting to motivate them and received eye rolls and stifled laughter.

Much critique has come against Mat Ishbia, majority owner of the Suns, for his erratic decision making. Particularly involving the firing of Vogel as well as tying $150 million between their “Big 3” with little-to-no draft capital.

What do you think the next move for Phoenix is?

Click Here for More Basketball Content

Want to partner with us? Contact us now.

Subscribe to Fantom Sports on YouTube!