The Phoenix Suns released a statement on Monday announcing the firing of current head coach Mike Budenholzer.

"Our goal has always been to compete at the highest level, but this season's performance has not lived up to expectations," the statement read. "Our fans deserve better. Changes must be made."

Mike Budenholzer, 55, was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and studied under the famous coach Gregg Popovich. After leaving the Spurs, he coached the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks respectively, and led the Bucks to win the 2021 NBA championship.

In May 2024, Budenholzer signed a huge 5-year, $50 million contract with the Suns. However, he failed to achieve good results despite having All-Star players such as Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal on the team, and eventually missed the playoffs and the playoffs with 36 wins and 46 losses.

Budenholzer also failed to establish a good relationship with Booker and other core players, which led to him becoming the third consecutive head coach to be fired by the Suns. According to ESPN reporter Shams Charania, the Suns management sees this coaching change as the starting point for reconstruction and plans to reorganize the lineup with Booker as the core, while considering the possibility of trading Durant and Beal.