The Phoenix Suns are hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott as their next head coach, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Ott will be hired for the position over his former Cavaliers colleague, associate head coach Johnnie Bryant. Ott and Bryant met with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and new general manager Brian Gregory in Michigan on Tuesday.
Per ESPN, Suns star Devin Booker was involved in the latter stages of the search process and tabbed Ott as his choice as head coach.
Phoenix is looking for a replacement for Mike Budenholzer, who was fired April 14 after his first season and a 36-46 record. Ott will be the fourth coach in four seasons for the Suns.
Ott began his career as a video coordinator at Michigan State in 2008 before filling that same role under Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks. He joined the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach in 2016 and moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022 before Kenny Atkinson hired him in Cleveland.
NBA Coach of the Year Atkinson and his staff led the Cavaliers to 64 wins and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
–Field Level Media
