The Phoenix Suns have decided to part ways with head coach Frank Vogel after their early playoff exit. Following a first-round sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns announced on Thursday that they had terminated Vogel’s contract, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
This decision caps off a season that fell short of expectations, despite the team’s high-profile acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in recent years. Vogel concludes his tenure in Phoenix with a 49-33 record for the season.
“The Phoenix Suns are moving on from head coach Frank Vogel,” according to the report. Despite securing Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who joined forces with All-NBA guard Devin Booker, the team finished sixth in the Western Conference and did not win a playoff game.
The Suns underwent significant roster changes to build around Booker, trading away players like Mikal Bridges, and Cam Johnson, and several first-round picks for Durant. They also traded Chris Paul and Landry Shamet to get Beal from the Washington Wizards, which left the team lacking in bench depth and without a true point guard.
These adjustments led to Booker and Beal sharing responsibilities in leading the offense, with the team also facing disadvantages in size, particularly evident against the Timberwolves’ front line which includes Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Suns were notably outrebounded in their playoff series.
Despite hopes that their star-studded lineup would compete for a championship, the team’s construction has proven inadequate for contending at the highest levels of the Western Conference.
While Vogel’s dismissal won’t immediately address these roster challenges, it opens the door for organizational changes during the offseason. Vogel, who previously coached the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship, finds himself back on the job market with a wealth of experience from his 19 seasons in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Suns are quickly moving forward with their search for a new head coach. Mike Budenholzer, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks, has been named as the leading candidate to replace Vogel. Budenholzer, a seasoned coach with a championship pedigree and ties to northern Arizona, was identified as a “frontrunner” shortly after Vogel’s firing. The Suns continue to evaluate other candidates as they aim to fill the coaching vacancy.