The Phoenix Suns hired Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their head coach, opting for a young, emerging leader to rebuild a franchise that has regressed over the past few seasons, a person familiar with the search told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the hire hasn’t officially been announced.
Ott will be the team’s fourth head coach in four seasons and replaces Mike Budenholzer, who was fired following a miserable 36-46 season that ended without a trip to the playoffs despite the high-priced trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
The 40-year-old Ott has worked for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers. He also worked as a video coordinator under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, which is where Suns owner Mat Ishbia played as a walk-on from 1999 to 2003.
It remains to be seen if Durant or Beal will be on next season’s roster — both could be moved in trades. Booker seems like the only player on the roster who is truly untouchable after 10 seasons in the desert, including four All-Star appearances.
Ott and fellow Cavs assistant Johnnie Bryant were the two finalists for the job. Ishbia and general manager Brian Gregory led a lengthy, deliberate search that lasted 1 1/2 months and included more than a dozen candidates.
ESPN first reported the hiring.
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