The Phoenix Suns once served as the blueprint for modern NBA success. From the finals run in 2021 to the stellar trades that brought in Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, the Suns were all-in on winning now. However, this “blueprint” seemingly lacked the crucial element of sustainable team chemistry and depth.

But as the season unfolded, this Western Conference contender has stumbled into chaos. Despite boasting a roster of proven All-Stars and operating with one of the league’s highest payrolls ($214 million in salaries and $152 million in luxury-tax payments), the Suns fell short of even making the postseason, with a disappointing 36–46 record, finishing 11th in the Western Conference. This stark underperformance highlights the limitations of simply stacking talent without a cohesive system and sufficient role players.

The Phoenix Suns have hit the reset button—again. They have fired their coach, Mike Budenholzer. This decision is the latest costly course correction from Suns owner Mat Ishbia. It comes less than four years after Budenholzer won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks and less than a year after the team signed him to a five-year contract worth over $50 million. The team released the following statement: “Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season. Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”

Matt Barnes recently supported the team’s decision, saying Budenholzer “…deserves to be fired.” He commented on the decisions taken by the new team owners, like Mat Ishbia-who bought the team in 2022-who are “not necessarily understanding that this is not fantasy basketball…”

This latest upheaval in the coaching staff signals a critical juncture for the franchise as they grapple with the fallout of their star-studded experiment. Now, as the Suns face an offseason of significant decisions, the focus shifts to the man at the helm of their billion-dollar vision.

Mat Ishbia’s Suns struggle to match his billion-dollar vision

Ishbia has made coaching changes in each of the three off-seasons since he took over in 2023. It started with Monty Williams after the 2022-23 campaign, which ended with a second-round playoff defeat. Then the Suns hired Frank Vogel to lead the bench in 2023-24 but let him go after another slip, at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. And now Mike Budenholzer. This rapid succession of coaching changes indicates a potential instability within the organization and raises questions about the long-term plan and the level of support given to each coach.

Barnes commented on some sort of “insider trading” going on in the team. Bradley Beal, whose arrival in Phoenix last season was one of the biggest moves of the year, is represented by Mark Bartelstein, one of the most powerful agents in the league. Meanwhile, Bartelstein’s son, Josh Bartelstein, is currently serving as the CEO of the Phoenix Suns. This perceived “insider dynamic” adds another layer to the narrative that Phoenix, under Mat Ishbia’s ownership, may be leaning too heavily on connections and impulsive moves rather than strategic planning.

Critics argue that the move to acquire Beal—who has struggled with injuries and carries a massive contract and a no-trade clause—may have been more influenced by relationships than basketball logic. The Suns are now in a tight financial corner with limited flexibility and on the verge of losing Kevin Durant. “…one just wonders what could have happened if Jimmy Butler was able to go to the Phoenix Suns”, who did wonders in the Golden State Warriors. But Beal’s no-trade clause “clogged up the pipeline at trade deadline.”

As ownership reconsiders its ambitious Bale-experiment, Kevin Durant’s probable departure marks the beginning of a new era for the Suns. Phoenix has a crucial offseason ahead of it to reassemble a disjointed roster and reestablish its identity, with Booker remaining at the center.