The new Phoenix Suns general manager, Brian Gregory, has his hands full. Amid being in the second-tax apron, disgruntled superstars like Kevin Durant, and a vacant head coach opening, there is plenty of work to do.

Gregory spoke for nearly 40 minutes to local media on Tuesday. When asked about if Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal will be on the team next season, he gave an interesting remark.

“I have a very, very good relationship with both those guys,” Gregory said. “Kevin [Durant] gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night… I had a great dinner with Brad Beal.

“My main focus right now, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.”

Finding the right head coach was a point of emphasis within Gregory's first five minutes of speaking. The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer after one season.

Last season, previous general manager James Jones and owner Mat Ishbia said that Budenholzer was the right guy for the job. Now, they are looking to take their time with the search.

“My main focus right now is hiring the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns and hiring a great one,” Gregory said. “We're doing an extensive process in that right now. I'm not going to give a timetable because I want to make sure that we get this right.

“This is very critical for us moving forward. Finding that head coach that is aligned, has the attributes that are important to us, unbelievable basketball IQ, tremendous communicator, and shares our vision.

Brian Gregory has a new head coach at the top of the Suns' list

South Florida Bulls head coach Brian Gregory during the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena.
© Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Considering that he spoke to both Beal and Durant, that's an interesting note. Durant could be in another state, or even out of the country. However, he's still in Phoenix and, as Gregory said, still getting a workout in.

The same goes for Beal. The latter could travel with the extra time. Instead, he ended up having dinner with Gregory, and the two talked about the future with the Suns.

That communication alone was part of what was missing from the 2024-25 season. Could it be a different factor with Gregory in charge?

Possibly, but it's too early to tell.

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Still, Gregory made sure to hammer that point into the franchise.

“Those attributes, in addition to understanding, this is what our identity is, and this is what we're going to coach to this daily,” Gregory said.

“So with that, we're going to make sure that we cast a wide net on that and at the same time, evaluate and interview coaches from a diverse background with diverse experiences and so forth. I think that will put us in a good position in that.”

Will Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal factor into the Suns' decision?

For Beal, he has a no-trade clause, so he'll likely be staying with the team. As for Durant, that's trickier. Although he's on a one-year deal, he could either stay or find a way out via trade.

During the trade deadline, the Suns nearly sent Durant to the Golden State Warriors, before he snuffed the deal.

Not to mention, Budenholzer was the main catalyst for problems. The two disagreed publicly, and it spilled out on the court. While the two dismissed the claims, the proof was in the pudding.

Back to Beal, a report came out that Budenholzer wanted him to play like Jrue Holiday. That struck a nerve with the former scoring champion.

It seems that the former head coach didn't connect with his players in the slightest.

With the offseason in full swing, the Suns will be urgent, but not rush to find their next head coach. Being in charge of superstars isn't for the faint of heart. However, any assistant or any former head coach could see this opportunity as a gold mine.

Either way, Brian Gregory will focus on one thing at a time. For him and the franchise, that starts with finding the next guy to lead the team heading into 2025-26.