The Phoenix Suns are again without a head coach after Mike Budenholzer's firing. Budenholzer was only there for one season, making this the third coach the Suns have fired in three seasons.

Budenholzer was seen as a home run hire and someone who could unlock an offense with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant, but the Suns were worse last season than the previous season and completely missed out on the postseason, finishing with a 36-46 record.

According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the head coaching search appears to be coming to a close, with two candidates standing out above the rest: Miami Heat assistant and Dallas Mavericks assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Sean Sweeney.

Quinn is a former NBA player and has been a longtime assistant for the Heat since 2014. Sweeney is a Jason Kidd disciple, coaching with him for the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and currently with the Mavericks. A stop at the Detroit Pistons filled the gap between his time with the Bucks and Mavericks.

Suns closing in on next head coach

These two names have popped up due to the second round of interviews finishing up. Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott is also a name to watch. His career started with the Atlanta Hawks, but he also made stops with the Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers before joining the Cavaliers last season.

Article Continues Below
Related Phoenix Suns News
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second quarter during game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
Timberwolves rumors: Will Kevin Durant trade be priority after another WCF loss?Preston Byers ·
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) brings the ball up as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends him in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Suns rumors: Brian Windhorst makes 98% Kevin Durant trade predictionJake Faigus ·
image thumbnail
Nets assistant among finalists for Suns head coach positionErik Slater ·
Phoenix Suns forward (1) Amare Stoudemire celebrates a shot with guard (13) Steve Nash against the San Antonio Spurs in game one in the western conference semifinals of the 2010 NBA playoffs at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Spurs 111-102.
Amar’e Stoudemire recalls Suns choosing Steve Nash over Kobe BryantRichard Pereira ·
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) brings the ball up as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends him in the fourth quarter at Target Center.
NBA rumors: Zach Lowe floats eye-opening Kevin Durant to Kings trade ideaJake Faigus ·
suns, suns draft, nba draft
Phoenix Suns’ 3 best options for No. 29 pick in 2025 NBA DraftGarrett Kerman ·

Ott has not stood out as much as the other two, but an added X-factor is that he got his master's degree from Michigan State, which is an instant connection with the Suns' owner, Mat Ishbia.

The biggest reason Ishbia's ties to the Spartans have to be a factor is that he already appointed another fellow Spartan, Brian Gregory, as the Suns' new GM despite Gregory's minimal NBA experience. He had just one season as a full-time Suns executive after one as a consultant, yet the Suns still hired him as their new general manager.

It is also worth noting that Minnesota's Micah Nori and Oklahoma City's Dave Bliss also advanced to the second round of the search despite their teams still being in the Western Conference Finals.

The Suns have options. Either of those leading candidates would be solid options. The biggest key is what happens from there because the Suns need to get the ball rolling on their roster and how they can contend coming into next season.