The Suns’ teaching search is right down to a pair of Cavs.
Former Knicks affiliate coach Johnnie Bryant is a finalist for Phoenix’s head teaching job, and Cleveland’s affiliate head coach is joined by Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott, ESPN insider Chams Charania reported Monday.
Bryant spent 4 seasons in New York from the 2020-21 season via the 2023-24 season. He spent the primary six seasons of his teaching profession as an assistant with the Jazz.
Now, he’ll meet with Suns proprietor Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and common supervisor Brian Gregory in Michigan with a hiring doubtlessly coming as quickly as this week.
Bryant simply concluded his eleventh season within the NBA teaching ranks, serving to the Cavs to an Jap Convention-best report of 64-18. They ranked first in offensive effectivity and eighth in defensive effectivity this 12 months with Bryant, 39, and head coach Kenny Atkinson working the present.
Regardless of the huge expectations, Cleveland surprisingly fell within the semifinals to the Pacers in six video games.
Each Bryant and Ott arrived in Cleveland in the summertime of 2024 as two of Coach of the 12 months Atkinson’s first hires.
For the reason that Suns fired Mike Budenholzer in April and employed Gregory as the brand new GM in Might, the franchise has been on a hunt for his or her subsequent head coach — their fourth new coach within the final seven years after ending with a 36-46 report this season.
Gregory has led the method, beginning with over 15 interviews earlier than transferring on to 6 second-round conversations with Bryant, Ott, Miami’s Chris Quinn, Dallas’ Sean Sweeney, Oklahoma Metropolis’s Dave Bliss and present employees member and former Knicks head coach David Fizdale.
The method moved into in-person visits final week.
The hiring course of doesn’t must be rushed for the Suns, as they’re the prime head teaching emptiness this offseason.
