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Suns hire Cavs’ Jordan Ott as new head coach
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- Suns hire Cavs’ Jordan Ott as new head coach
The post Suns hire Cavs' Jordan Ott as new head coach appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to hire Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott as their new head coach , first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
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Ott was a key part of Kenny Atkinson's staff this past season in Cleveland and contributed to the Cavs winning 64 games as one of the leading voices on their bench next to Atkinson, who was named the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year .
Johnnie Bryant, another Cavs assistant, was also a finalist for the Suns head coaching vacancy . Both Bryant and Ott met with owner Mat Ishbia , CEO Josh Bartelstein, and general manager Brian Gregory in Michigan on Tuesday for the final time before Phoenix decided who they wanted to hire.
Superstar guard Devin Booker was also involved in the search that led to an agreement with Otto to become the Suns' new head coach.
Before joining the Cavaliers for the 2024-25 season, Ott spent two years with the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant on Darvin Ham's staff. He previously served as an assistant for the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2022, as well as the video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2016.
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Ott, who originally graduated from Penn State, received his master's degree in athletic administration from Michigan State, continuing Ishbia's lineage of hiring fellow Spartan alumni. The Suns owner recently hired Gregory , who also attended Michigan State, as the team's newest general manager with James Jones moving into a senior advisor role with the franchise.
The new Suns head coach has been heavily regarded around the league for his devotion to player development and relationships with his team. As he takes over the role left behind by Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after the Suns missed the playoffs, Ott will be responsible for flipping the script in Phoenix and creating a new, positive atmosphere.
However, the immediate future of this organization is unknown due to the uncertainty surrounding Kevin Durant .
After appearing in serious trade conversations against his will before the trade deadline in February, the Suns are expected to part ways with Durant this offseason . Where Durant ends up remains a mystery, as the bigger question for Phoenix revolves around what value and assets they can get in return for the two-time Finals MVP in trade talks.
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The Suns finished the 2024-25 season with a 36-46 record, their worst since the 2019-20 season.
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