Rumors, doubts, and speculations. Three words, one team, and this is the Phoenix Suns. Do you remember their dominance in the 2021-22 season? Oh, what a beast of a team they were. But soon, the Suns couldn’t keep their reputation. One after the other, changes kept happening. They say change is the only constant, but for the franchise, that turned into an eyesore. Their biggest issue turned out to be their repeated shift in coaches. And right now, it seems Mat Ishbia has already decided Mike Budenholzer’s fate.
“Bye-bye, Bud,” Tim MacMahon had taunted in one of the recent episodes of The Hoop Collective podcast. While that was a sheer moment of fun, things might have turned out a bit too real than it was meant to be. As expected and speculated, the Phoenix Suns have reportedly fired head coach Mike Budenholzer. How do we know this?
Of course, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news to the world via a tweet. He wrote: “The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after finishing in 11th place with a 36-46 record in his one season.” Since 2203, the Suns have fired 3 head coaches, including Bud. First, it was Monty Williams, then Frank Vogel, and now the veteran 55-year-old.
BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after finishing in 11th place with a 36-46 record in his one season, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ocySLmWDQI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 14, 2025
While this firing episode has taken over the NBA world, there are too many underlying layers in this matter. Surely, the losses and alleged locker room tension piled up to make a concoction too bitter for Mat Ishbia to swallow. Therefore, the $50 million contract that Coach Budenholzer‘s had in his hand was scrapped off within a blink. But that’s not all, It looks like Bradley Beal and the locker room had already foreseen something that others couldn’t decipher.
This is a developing story…
The post Bradley Beal & Suns Locker Room Were Right as Mat Ishbia Terminates Mike Budenholzer’s $50 Million Contract appeared first on EssentiallySports.