The rookie coach is coming! The Suns "fight to death" Booker, Durant is sure to be sent away

On June 3, the Phoenix Suns ended the third round of head coach interviews. Assistant coach David Fitzdale and Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn were eliminated, while two assistant coaches from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnny Bryant and Jordan Ott successfully advanced and will participate in the final boss interview. During the entire coach selection process, the star Devin Booker participated in the whole process, while Kevin Durant was revealed to have been confirmed to leave the team.

According to ESPN sources, the Suns' management has narrowed the candidate range for head coaches to Bryant and Ultra. The two candidates will meet with Suns owner Matt Ishbiya in Michigan in the near future, and the final head coaching candidate is expected to be settled within this week.

Looking back on Bryant's career, he fought at the University of Utah in his early years and entered the coaching circle after retiring. Since 2012, he has joined the Utah Jazz as a player development coach and has been gradually promoted to assistant coach. In 2020, he switched to the New York Knicks, becoming Tom Thibodeau's chief assistant coach and played a vital role in the team's reconstruction process. In 2024, he once again chose a new challenge and joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as associate coach.

Compared with Bryant, Ultra's career path is different. He started at Michigan State University and served as a video coordinator. He then entered the NBA and served as an assistant coach for many teams including the Atlanta Hawks, the Brooklyn Nets, the Los Angeles Lakers, and other teams, mainly responsible for tactical arrangements and game preparations. In 2024, he also chose to join the Cleveland Cavaliers and became a member of the coaching staff.

According to Shams's additional report, the Suns appointed Gregory as the new general manager on May 1 after firing Mike Budenholzer on April 15. After Gregory took office, he immediately started a comprehensive head coach screening work. The first round of interview attracted more than 15 candidates to participate. After layers of screening, eight people finally entered the second round of interviews, and then the roster of five people entering the final stage was determined, including Bryant, Ultra, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Thunder assistant Dave Bliss and current assistant coach David Fitzdale. It is worth mentioning that during the entire selection process, Devin Booker, the cornerstone of the Suns team building, has always actively participated, which indirectly reflects the firm recognition of Booker's core position by Suns boss Ishbiya and the entire management, and also indicates that the team will not choose to play a bad path to reconstruction in the future.

However, when it is confirmed that Booker will not be traded, the Suns are facing serious team personnel and salary issues. Since Bradley Beal has the trade veto, the team can only turn their attention to Kevin Durant. According to famous reporter Stein, multiple sources revealed that no matter which head coach the Suns ultimately choose, they will most likely choose to send Durant away. Sources also said that the Suns will join forces with Durant to explore the trading market this summer, and the two sides are expected to end their two-and-a-half-year cooperation. It is worth mentioning that in February this year, the Suns unilaterally explored Durant's trading market, but were eventually persuaded to stay. Currently, among Durant's next odds, the Timberwolves rank first, while the Rockets and Mavericks are closely behind.

The outside world is generally confused about these current operations of the Suns. Choosing a rookie coach and adhering to strategies such as Booker as the core seems to be difficult to bring substantial changes to the team in the short term, and the team may still do nothing in the next three years. Personally, I think the most suitable way for the Suns is to trade Booker and Durant in exchange for a large number of draft picks, so as to choose the young man to form a more competitive team. This can not only avoid the pressure of luxury taxes, but also lay a solid foundation for the team's future.