On April 16, the Phoenix Suns officially announced that the team has officially terminated its partnership with head coach Mike Budenholzer. This decision also marks the third consecutive season that the Suns have changed their head coach during the offseason. As one of the teams with the highest total payroll in the NBA this season, the Suns ranked 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 36 wins and 46 losses, missing the playoffs. The record that did not meet expectations became the "last straw" that overwhelmed Budenholzer's coaching career.

Budenholzer took office last summer and was expected to be a great player. He led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 championship and had rich coaching experience. He was considered to be able to manage a lineup like the Suns with many star players. However, this season, the Suns have been plagued by multiple problems such as frequent injuries, chaotic rotations, and insufficient technical and tactical execution, and have not been able to play in their ideal state. Especially in the critical period of the middle and late stages of the season, the team lost consecutive games and ultimately failed to enter the play-off zone, which made the management unbearable.

In the official statement of the Suns, it was pointed out: " The goal of the Phoenix Suns has always been to compete for the championship, but the overall performance of the team in the 2024-25 season did not meet expectations. We owe it to the fans, so we must make difficult but necessary changes. "

According to internal sources, in addition to the poor performance, Budenholzer's lack of effective communication with some players in the locker room was also one of the reasons for his dismissal. The tense atmosphere within the team, lack of cohesion, and lack of trust between the players and the coaching staff further exacerbated the decline of the Suns' performance.

This change has once again raised questions about the stability of the Suns' management's decision-making. In the past three years, the Suns have fired three head coaches, Monty Williams, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer. The team has frequently changed coaches but has never achieved the expected heights.

What is more concerning is that ESPN cited multiple sources saying that the Suns may initiate a large-scale lineup adjustment during the offseason, including considering trading Kevin Durant, one of the core players of the team. The report pointed out that the management has lost patience with the current lineup and may reorganize the team around Booker in the future, completely overturning the previous " big bet on the Big Three " team building idea.

The Phoenix Suns have not yet announced their next head coach. But what is certain is that this team, which has been aiming for a championship but has failed to win in three years, is facing a deep restructuring. Where they will go in the future remains to be revealed in the offseason.