NBA

Suns fire head coach Mike Budenholzer

It didn’t take long for hotshot Mat Ishbia to turn the Suns into one of the biggest laughing stocks in the NBA. Phoenix had a dreadful 36-46 season, wildly underachieving with some of the worst vibes imaginable. Still, that shouldn’t be pinned on Budenholzer, an accomplished head coach who’s far above the disastrous organization dismissing him.

However, this move is good for both sides. The Suns need a reboot, and starting fresh with a new voice is the right call, as unfair as it may be to Budenholzer. Don’t feel bad for the 55-year-old, though, as he’s escaping a dumpster fire of a situation, and should still be a candidate for other jobs.

What’s next for Phoenix is the big question. Does president of basketball operations James Jones follow Budenholzer out the door? Does Kevin Durant get traded this offseason? Is Devin Booker’s time with the franchise approaching the end? The Suns are in a horrible spot, thanks to a rushed bid for contention that resulted in a bloated cap sheet and loss of significant draft capital.

The next phase of Suns basketball likely won’t be sunny, if you will, and it’s on Ishbia to fix the organization. May I suggest a patient approach? That probably won’t happen, though, as NBA franchises are acting crazier and crazier by the day. I’m not going to fault Phoenix for firing Budenholzer, though — as good as a head coach he may be.

Grade: C

Pelicans fire executive vice president David Griffin

This was supposed to be a solid season for the Pelicans, but the wins never came. Culminating in a 21-61 finish, New Orleans’ 2024-25 campaign never got off the ground, mainly due to injuries and worse than expected performance. Injuries are mostly unpredictable, but underperformance can easily be pinned on executives, and for Griffin, that spelled doom.

Griffin is a well-respected front office voice, but at this juncture — this is his second time being fired — it’s hard to see him heading basketball operations for another franchise. That’s probably unfair, as he added a fair amount talent across his tenure with the Pelicans, but the pieces didn’t fit.

A rebuild, or at least a mini one, could be on the horizon in New Orleans. If that’s the case, the attractiveness of this job increases. There’s also the possibility of ownership choosing to run it back, which would only delay an inevitable teardown.

Grade: D+