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Suns Hire Cavs Assistant Jordan Ott As Franchise's New Head Coach
The Phoenix Suns are hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as the franchise's new head coach, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.
Ott has been an NBA assistant since 2012, and was one of the top aides on Kenny Atkinson's staff in Cleveland. He has a strong background of offensive and defensive creativity, according to Charania, and has been known as a strong player developer and communicator.
This will be Ott's first head coaching job. He will be taking over for Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after one disappointing season in Phoenix. The Suns went 36-46 and missed the playoffs this past season.
Phoenix now faces an uncertain future with Kevin Durant, and it's safe to assume that Ott will be coaching a very different roster in 2025-26. His hiring could be a sign that a rebuild is coming next season, even if Devin Booker remains on the roster.
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Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.