With the reported plan to hire Mike Budenholzer as the team’s next coach, Phoenix Suns assistant coach David Fizdale was expected to transition to a new front office role, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported in a since-deleted tweet.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Charania now reports that “the Suns are expected to offer lead assistant David Fizdale a new front office role, but a source briefed on Fizdale’s thinking indicated he is currently not expected to accept it.”
Budenholzer has already been working to assemble his own coaching staff for the past week, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, the Suns are expected to make front office changes, so this would have been the first reported one. Gambadoro added that general manager James Jones will not be replaced and the changes will not include NBA great Isiah Thomas, who is close to owner Mat Ishbia.
The head coaching change will not be the only change with the Suns there will be front office changes – not James Jones being replaced.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 9, 2024
Before being on the Suns coaching staff this past year, Fizdale was the associate general manager of the Utah Jazz in the 2022-23 season.
Fizdale was known as a well-regarded assistant coach when LeBron James went to the Miami Heat. After James left, he was promoted to be the team’s associate head coach from 2014-16. Fizdale then was hired as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2016-18 and New York Knicks from 2018-20. Since, he has only been on dismissed Suns coach Frank Vogel’s staff, in the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers and this past season with Phoenix.
Fizdale, 49, was with Miami from 2009-2016 and before that was an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks (2004-08) and Golden State Warriors (2003-04).
It is unclear what role Fizdale was offered in the front office.
Coming off a first-round sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns are projected to have the highest payroll in the NBA next season at $209 million and will be severely limited due to the league’s second tax apron rules, which they would land over. The second-apron line is projected to be $190 million next season.
In this threshold, Phoenix is unable to sign free agents outside of the Suns to anything other than veteran minimum contracts. In terms of trades, the Suns will not be able to take in more salary than they send out, include cash in deals, aggregate contracts or use a preexisting trade exception.
Updated Offseason in Phoenix pic.twitter.com/ctUY5qFN4L
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 9, 2024
The front office will be tasked will be tasked with daunting challenge of building the team around these limitations, but do have their starting 5 all under contract for next season.
Shams: Suns ‘plan to hire’ Mike Budenholzer as franchise’s next coach
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
