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Suns To Hire Cavs Assistant Jordan Ott As Head Coach

June 4th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns are hiring Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their new head coach, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. Ott has been an NBA assistant since 2013.

Ott becomes the team’s fourth head coach in four seasons. Suns owner Mat Ishbia fired Monty Williams after the 2022/23 season, shortly after taking control of the franchise. NBA veteran head coaches Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer only lasted one season apiece before they were dismissed.

Phoenix will now turn to a veteran assistant receiving his first crack as a head coach.

Ott emerged from a group of at least 15 candidates, according to Charania. He has agreed to a four-year contract, 98.7 FM Phoenix talk show host John Gambadoro tweets.

Ott has long-time ties to Ishbia, Jeff Goodman notes (Twitter link). Ott is a former Tom Izzo staffer at Michigan State, where Ishbia played as a walk-on.

He began his NBA coaching career as a video coordinator with the Hawks. He served as a Nets assistant from 2016-22, then moved on to the Lakers until this past season. He followed former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson to Cleveland after Atkinson got the top job with the Cavs.

Another Cavs assistant, Johnnie Bryant, was the other finalist for the Suns job. Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney were also confirmed to be under consideration during the final round of interviews, with Thunder assistant Dave Bliss and Suns assistant David Fizdale reported to be in the mix too.

Ott will be taking over a franchise in a state of flux. Ishbia’s plans to win a championship by building a super-team around Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker failed miserably, with the Suns not even qualifying for the postseason in Budenholzer’s only season at the helm.

The Suns are expected to pursue trades involving Durant and Beal, though Beal would have to waive his no-trade clause. Booker was heavily involved in the search process during the final stages and gave Ott a stamp of approval as his top choice as well, Charania tweets.

As for Bryant, he’s rumored to be a candidate for the Knicks’ opening. Bryant was an assistant under Tom Thibodeau with the Knicks until this season.

Jordan Ott, Johnnie Bryant Finalists For Suns’ Head Coaching Job

June 2nd, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

11:14 am: While Ott is a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching vacancy, Shams Charania of ESPN confirms, it’s Bryant – not Quinn – who joins him in that final group. According to Charania, the two Cavaliers assistants will meet in person with Ishbia, Gregory, and Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein in Michigan.

Bryant, who was hired last offseason as the Cavaliers’ associate head coach, previously worked for the Jazz (2014-20) and Knicks (2020-24) as an assistant.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) reports that the Suns are expected to make their decision by the end of the week.

8:50 am: After reporting over the weekend that the Suns are expected to advance two or three finalists to the last round of their head coaching search to meet with team owner Mat Ishbia, NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link) says Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott have been “repeatedly forecasted in league coaching circles” to reach that final stage of the search process.

Quinn, a former NBA player, worked as an assistant for Northwestern in 2013/14 before joining Miami’s coaching staff under Erik Spoelstra in 2014. He has since emerged as Spoelstra’s top lieutenant, having spent more than a decade on the Heat’s bench and served as the club’s acting head coach when Spoelstra has had to miss games.

Ott was part of coaching staffs with the Hawks, Nets, and Lakers before reuniting with Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland a year ago. Ott, who previously worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn and attended Michigan State like Ishbia, was reportedly a finalist last spring for the head coaching job in Charlotte that ultimately went to Charles Lee.

Quinn and Ott are among four candidates confirmed to have interviewed with Suns general manager Brian Gregory, along with Cleveland assistant Johnnie Bryant and Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney.

According to Stein, the expectation was that Gregory would meet with Thunder assistant Dave Bliss in Oklahoma City over the weekend. Stein doesn’t confirm that the meeting took place as planned, but notes that Bliss wasn’t expected to fly out to meet the Suns while his team was preparing for the NBA Finals.

Marc J. Spears of Andscape and NBA insider Chris Haynes (Threads link) have both stated that Suns assistant and former NBA head coach David Fizdale was also still in the mix for Phoenix’s coaching vacancy entering the team’s third round of interviews. The club initially identified between 15 and 20 candidates for the job before advancing nine of those candidates to the second round of the process.

Latest On Suns’ Head Coaching Search

May 31st, 2025 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have now completed in-person interviews with Sean Sweeney, Jordan Ott, Johnnie Bryant, and Chris Quinn as they evaluate candidates for their head coaching vacancy, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Marc Stein (Substack link) confirms Gambadoro’s report, noting that those interviews took place this week and were run by new general manager Brian Gregory.

Thunder assistant Dave Bliss remains under consideration for Phoenix’s head coaching job as well, but with Oklahoma City headed to the NBA Finals, the Suns haven’t been able to bring him in for an in-person meeting. An interview with Bliss would probably have to take place in OKC, Stein notes.

Sweeney, Ott, Bryant, Quinn, and Bliss were identified earlier in the week as the remaining contenders for the Suns’ open position. One subsequent report indicated that Suns assistant and former NBA head coach David Fizdale was also still in the mix, but neither Gambadoro nor Stein mentions him, so that report remains unconfirmed.

It’s believed that the Suns will pick a smaller group of finalists – likely just two candidates – who will meet face-to-face with team owner Mat Ishbia next week, Stein reports.

According to Stein, Suns star Devin Booker has “had a level of involvement” in this stage of interviews, which backs up the club’s repeated assertions that its plan is continue building around Booker going forward. While all three Phoenix stars have been the subject of trade speculation in recent months, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are considered far more likely to actually end up on the trade block this summer.

Speaking of Durant, the fact that the Suns are trending toward hiring a first-time head coach has only increased the league-wide belief that KD is a strong candidate to be dealt this offseason, Stein writes. However, he cautions that Durant may not actually reach the trade market until there’s clarity on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to stay in Milwaukee or seek a change of scenery.

Suns Pare Down List Of Coaching Candidates To Five

May 28th, 2025 at 7:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

May 28: In addition to confirming Quinn, Bryant, Ott, and Sweeney as finalists, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) reports that Bliss is moving to the next round of interviews as well.

Gambadoro confirms that the Suns are advancing five candidates to the final round of the search process, with Bliss still in the mix (Twitter links).

May 27: The Suns have whittled their list of candidates for their head coaching job.

According to Phoenix radio reporter John Gambadoro (Twitter link), there are four finalists for the position, with Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Cavaliers assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott among that group.

The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin, citing multiple league sources, also hears that Quinn and Ott are among the likely finalists along with Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, with Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori also a possibility.

Sweeney is headed to Phoenix for an in-person interview on Wednesday, Gambadoro confirms (via Twitter).

The Suns are looking to replace Mike Budenholzer, who only lasted one disappointing season on the job. Budenholzer was hired after Frank Vogel, another coach with a championship on his resume, was let go after one season.

The Suns are the only team in search of a head coach. Gambadoro reported on Sunday that Phoenix’s brass had already conducted second interviews with nine candidates for the position, mainly via Zoom. Suns assistant David Fizdale, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Nets assistant Steve Hetzel and Thunder assistant Dave Bliss were the other reported candidates.

Stein’s Latest: Suns’ HC Search, Giannis, Bucks, Sixers

May 26th, 2025 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

While it remains unclear which head coaching candidates will advance to the final round of the interview process for the Suns, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says there are “rumbles in coaching circles” that Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney and Heat assistant Chris Quinn made strong impressions during the early stages of Phoenix’s search.

As Stein notes, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the Michigan State alums in the candidate pool, since Suns owner Mat Ishbia values ties to his alma mater, as evidenced by the fact that he named fellow Spartan Brian Gregory the team’s new general manager earlier this spring. Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott and Nets assistant Steve Hetzel both attended Michigan State, according to Stein, who singles out Ott as a name to monitor.

The expectation is that the Suns will narrow their pool of candidates to about three finalists, Stein reports.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein’s latest Substack article:

As the Bucks try to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to continue his career in Milwaukee, one factor they’re emphasizing is the ability to continue competing in a weakened Eastern Conference, Stein writes. Although Milwaukee has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive years, the path to the NBA Finals still looks much clearer in the East than in the West, especially given the injury-related uncertainties surrounding would-be contenders like Boston and Philadelphia, Stein adds.
The Bucks also hope that Doc Rivers‘ ongoing presence helps strengthen their case to Antetokounmpo, who is believed to have a “strong working relationship” with the veteran coach, Stein writes.
Stein confirms prior reporting from his Stein Line colleague Jake Fischer, writing that the Sixers want to add a “dynamic young talent” to their roster and therefore won’t be inclined to trade the No. 3 overall pick if it would mean trading out of the draft or moving down more than a few spots in the lottery.
In case you missed it, Stein also identified a few veteran point guards who might be targets for the Mavericks this summer. We have the full story on that here.

Suns Ready To Move On To Next Round In Coaching Search

May 25th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns have wrapped up the second round of interviews in their search for a new head coach, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix (Twitter link).

Gambadoro states that most of the interviews with the nine reported candidates were conducted via Zoom. He expects the finalists for the job to be notified within the next two days that they have advanced to in-person meetings.

It’s been nearly six full weeks since former head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired after one disappointing season on the job. With the 2021 championship on his resume, there was hope that Budenholzer could turn Phoenix into a legitimate title contender, but the team stumbled to a 36-46 record and failed to reach the play-in tournament.

The Suns have the luxury of taking their time in finding Budenholzer’s replacement because no other NBA team currently has a head coaching vacancy.

They went through an exhaustive process as the search began, reportedly holding initial conversations with between 15 and 20 candidates as they try to set a new direction for the team. Owner Mat Ishbia said in a press conference shortly after the season ended that he wants to find a coach who will bring increased toughness to the organization.

As reported last week, current Suns assistant David Fizdale is among the finalists for the job, along with Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Cavaliers assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Thunder assistant Dave Bliss and Heat assistant Chris Quinn.

The Suns haven’t revealed when they hope to hire their next coach, but with the draft one month away and free agency starting a few days after that, there’s likely a sense of urgency to get the position filled in the coming weeks.

Breaking Down Three Suns Head Coach Candidates

May 23rd, 2025 at 9:07pm CST by Eli Cohen

It has been w idely reported that the Suns are down to nine candidates in their search to find their fourth coach in four years. In a series of articles, Duane Raskin of AZ Central broke down the varying strengths of three potential first-time NBA head coaches.

Chris Quinn, the associate head coach for the Heat, has been a popular name after a turbulent season in Miami that presented the coaching staff with a wide variety of challenges.

According to Raskin, Quinn was considered an instrumental part of keeping the team together through the ups and downs of the Jimmy Butler trade drama and the transitional state that came from pivoting to a new era. That points to his ability as a developmental coach, with Tyler Herro‘s offensive growth considered a prime example.

Quinn is also considered the “right hand man” of head coach Erik Spoelstra when it comes to in-game adjustments. This is an important detail, considering the Heat are largely considered one of the better teams in the league when it comes to their game plan and execution.

Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney is another candidate. Raskin writes that he’s famous for having a limitless work ethic for himself and demanding the same of his players. A longtime confidant and collaborator with Jason Kidd, he’s described by league sources as “a winner that will hold players accountable.”

Jordan Ott is a Cavaliers assistant coach who is widely viewed as a leading candidate in the job hunt, reports Raskin. This is thanks, in part, to his ties to Suns owner Mat Ishbia via their shared alma mater of Michigan State, where Ott was a video coordinator for five years.

Raskin describes Ott as a grinder with a specialty in player development, thanks in part to his abilities as a teacher of the game through film sessions in which he imparts his understanding of offensive and defensive principles. While the current version of the Suns is a veteran team whose stars may not need much teaching, getting the fringe players on the rotation to become real contributors would help maximize the roster. The Suns have also struggled to create an identity on either side of the ball, so having a tactician running the show could help from an organizational standpoint.

Ott also has a preexisting relationship with Kevin Durant, as Ott was an assistant with the Nets when Durant played there.

Suns Narrow Down Coaching Search To Nine Candidates

May 18th, 2025 at 2:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2:06 pm: Heat assistant Chris Quinn has also moved onto the second stage of Phoenix’s coaching search, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

1:17 pm: The Suns appear to be narrowing down their search for their fourth head coach in as many seasons.

According to veteran NBA insider Chris Haynes (YouTube video link), new Phoenix general manager Brian Gregory has selected eight candidates to advance to the second round of the process. Previous reporting indicated that the Suns had initial conversations with between 15 and 20 candidates.

As Haynes details, that eight-man group consists of Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Suns assistant David Fizdale, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Cavaliers assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, and Thunder assistant Dave Bliss.

Among these eight finalists, only Fizdale and Borrego have prior head coaching experience on their resumes.

As Haynes notes, Fizdale previously turned down a head coaching offer from former Suns owner, Robert Sarver, instead accepting an ill-fated gig as the head coach of the Knicks, which lasted just over a year. All told, Fizdale has a cumulative 71-134 regular season record during his stints with the Grizzlies and Knicks. He led Memphis to one playoff berth during his debut season as the team’s head coach.

Borrego was the interim head coach in Orlando for the end of the 2014/15 season, and served as the head coach with Charlotte from 2018-22. He boasts a 148-183 overall regular season record and has yet to lead a team to the playoffs.

Reports earlier this spring indicated that Phoenix would likely be targeting a younger head coach following brief stints with Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer at the helm. As Haynes observes, this group of names is consistent with that aim — 51-year-old Nori and 50-year-old Fizdale are the oldest of the eight candidates, most of whom are in their 30s and early 40s.

The Suns brass is hoping their next coach can “build a program from scratch,” according to Haynes, who says the team is emphasizing discipline, accountability, and a philosophical alignment with majority owner Mat Ishbia and the front office. Phoenix is also prioritizing coaching candidates with defensive backgrounds.

A coach who can effectively work with star players is another important consideration, even if the Suns ultimately move on from Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and/or even Devin Booker in the near future. According to Haynes, the head coaching decision may have an impact on how the team moves forward with its stars, since it’s possible Budenholzer’s replacement will have a preexisting relationship with one or more of those players or will hit it off quickly with them.

The expectation is that the Suns will eventually reduce their coaching candidate pool from eight candidates to three finalists, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Scotto’s Latest: Hawks, Green, D’Antoni, Suns, Nogues Gonzalez

April 29th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Hawks seek a new head of basketball operations, their top targets are believed to be Tim Connelly of the Timberwolves and former Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms.

However, as previously reported, Connelly is expected to sign a new deal to remain in Minnesota. As for Myers, people around the NBA believe it would take a “significant” salary and the perfect fit for the current ESPN analyst to return to an NBA front office, Scotto writes.

Other candidates on Atlanta’s list of potential replacements for former GM Landry Fields include Magic senior advisor John Hammond and NBA G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim, league sources tell HoopsHype. Abdur-Rahim spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Hawks as a player, earning his lone All-Star nod in Atlanta.

Confirming a report from NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Scotto says the Hawks are parting ways with VP of pro personnel Grant Liffmann. Atlanta also isn’t expected to retain executive advisor Chris Emens, Scotto adds.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The “prevailing expectation” is that Willie Green will keep his job as the Pelicans‘ head coach entering the 2025/26 season, league sources tell Scotto. However, he hears that New Orleans won’t be retaining coaching advisor Mike D’Antoni, who has been with the organization in that role since 2021.
The “strong belief” around the NBA is that the Suns will be seeking a young, first-time head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer, according to Scotto, who identifies Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott and Thunder assistant Dave Bliss as two candidates expected to receive consideration. Ott was a finalist a year ago for the head coaching opening in Charlotte, while Bliss is the coordinator of an Oklahoma City defense that was the league’s best in 2024/25.
After earning All-Defensive honors in the G League this season with the Rip City Remix, guard Isaac Nogues Gonzalez – one of 106 early entrants in the 2025 NBA draft – intends to keep his name in the draft pool, Scotto reports. He turned down a multiyear offer to play for Club Joventut Badalona in Spain, agent Michael Naiditch informs HoopsHype.

Cavaliers Officially Announce 2024/25 Coaching Staff

September 6th, 2024 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers issued a press release on Thursday formally announcing their coaching staff under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was hired in June to replace J.B. Bickerstaff.

There are no real surprises within the Cavaliers’ release, as the majority of their hires were reported at some point this summer following the addition of Atkinson. However, those hires are now official.

Here are Cleveland’s assistant coaches:

Johnnie Bryant, who spent the past four seasons as the Knicks’ associate head coach and six seasons before that as a Jazz assistant. He worked closely with Donovan Mitchell in Utah and has been named the Cavaliers’ associate head coach.
Jordan Ott, a former assistant for the Lakers (2022-24) and Nets (2016-22). He worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn for three-and-a-half seasons.
DeMarre Carroll, a forward in the NBA for 11 seasons, including two in Brooklyn playing for Atkinson. Having transitioned to coaching following his retirement, he spent the 2022/23 season with Milwaukee and the ’23/24 campaign with the Lakers.
Mike Gerrity, who has coached the Cleveland Charge (the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate) for the past two seasons.
Trevor Hendry, who was with the Nets from 2014-24 in a variety of roles, including assistant coach (2022-24) and head video coordinator (2018-22). He worked under Atkinson from 2016-20.
Omar Cook, a longtime professional player who was hired as an assistant coach for the Charge in 2022 and promoted to an assistant/player development role with the Cavaliers in 2023.
Bryan Tibaldi, who has been a player development/video assistant for the Cavs since 2021.
Nate Reinking, a returning assistant coach who was the Charge’s head coach from 2016-21.

The Cavaliers announced a few more hires within their press release, including Alex Sarama as their director of player development and Patrick Licursi as an advance scout.