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The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Monty Williams after their elimination from the Western Conference semifinals by the Denver Nuggets. Williams took the team to the NBA Finals in 2021, where they lost in a six-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The team’s recent exit has raised questions about their future, and Williams’ firing is one of the first moves towards answering them.
Williams led the Suns for four seasons, posting an impressive 194-115 record and winning NBA Coach of the Year in 2022. He had signed a pricey contract extension last summer which was set to go into effect in 2024 but was let go due to high expectations set for the team by their new owner, Mortgage billionaire Mat Ishbia.
Firing Williams might not be a cheap move, and it reflects the team’s urgency to succeed with their core led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. It also highlights the perils of being a head coach after an ownership change.
The Suns’ disappointing season ended in the team’s lack of depth and injuries to Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. Both players now face unclear futures in Phoenix. Paul’s salary of $30.8 million for next season has only $15.8 million guaranteed, and the team may look to move on from the 38-year-old in favor of a younger point guard. Ayton had signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers last offseason, which the Suns matched, but with his expectations not being met, a trade may be possible.
The Suns now face a cap crunch, especially due to the addition of the NBA’s second, more punitive tax apron. Firing Williams does not necessarily help with this, but it does show that the Suns are willing to take bold actions to stay among the NBA’s elite.
The firing of Williams is a big move for the Suns in the offseason, and it is likely not the last. The team went all-in last season by trading several players for Durant, but it ended in disappointment. With the continued uncertainty surrounding Paul and Ayton, the team will have many decisions to make in the offseason.
Credit: sports.yahoo.com
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