One of the more disappointing teams in the 2023-24 NBA regular season has been the Phoenix Suns. They have made some major roster changes over the last year or so, bringing in Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in blockbuster trades to make a Big 3 along with Devin Booker. But, things haven’t panned out as well as they had hoped.
Phoenix is currently 47-33 and in seventh place in the Western Conference. They are a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for sixth place, as they would be taking part in the NBA Play-In Tournament if the regular season had ended today.
That certainly isn’t where the Suns or many NBA analysts expected them to be coming into the season. They have been underwhelming all season, falling woefully short of the expectations that have been placed on them, which could lead to some major changes in the offseason.
Everyone would assume that means turnover on the roster, but what the Suns have now is essentially what they will have in the future. They have exhausted pretty much all of their assets in going all-in with this current group.
Instead, if they fall short in the NBA Playoffs and are eliminated early, it could mean a head coaching change. Frank Vogel, who is in his first season as the team’s head coach, could lose his job according to Evan Sidery, who covers the NBA for Forbes, if the Suns fail to get out of the first round.
Vogel is in the first year of a five-year, $31 million contract that was agreed to during the 2023 NBA offseason. He was replacing Monty Williams, who took over as head coach of the Detroit Pistons on a historic contract.
If the Suns fail to advance in the NBA Playoffs, something has to be done. That would be a massive failure given how much money and assets they spent to put this roster together. There is also the eagerness of owner Mat Ishbia to bring Tyronn Lue in as head coach.
Lue, who is currently leading the Los Angeles Clippers, is on an expiring contract. Should he become available, Ishbia is expected to make a push for him as Lue was reportedly atop Ishbia’s wish list last offseason when the team moved on from Williams.
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