Suns Targeted Two Other Names in Coaching Search

PHOENIX -- The dust has now settled on the Phoenix Suns' hiring of Mike Budenholzer, but the organization may have taken a different route if a handful of other names were available according to Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro.

"Mike Budenholzer's the guy that can have success in a regular season but then also have what it takes to make the adjustments necessary to help this team - we all know the adjustment he made by putting Giannis at center against the Suns in the NBA Finals and how that turned the tide of that series when the Suns were up 2-0," said Gambadoro.

"I do believe that had Chauncey Billups and Ty Lue been available, they are guys that would have been on the Suns' radar and maybe even got an interview. But it is about availability and Ty Lue is under contract and Chauncey Billups is under contract and Mike Budenholzer is not - this was always going to be, 'we're targeting two or three guys, and we're going to hire one. We're not going to target 10'. I think the two or three guys, a couple of them were just not available, and they weren't going to really look at anybody else.

"If those guys - Chauncey Billups and Ty Lue - had been let go, fired or they were available interview - I don't know, Mike Budenholzer still very well may have gotten the job. But I think they may have at least expanded the search outside of just one guy."

How much of a difference will Mike Budenholzer make as head coach of the Suns?@Gambo987 & @KellanOlson discuss!

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The Suns' interest in Lue has been the worst kept secret in the Valley dating back to last season, when Phoenix fired Monty Williams and hoped to land Lue before ultimately settling for Frank Vogel. Lue is viewed as one of the better coaches in the league.

Billups is an interesting name, as his three years as a head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers hasn't netted much success with an overall winning percentage of .329 and zero seasons over the .500 mark.

However, the Blazers did deal Damian Lillard and effectively went into rebuild mode this past season. Injuries have also plagued Billups' time as a leader in Portland.

Budenholzer is now the head man in charge - though Phoenix's coaching search would have been much more interesting to monitor had other options been available.