The Phoenix Suns are moving on from head coach Frank Vogel.
The Suns, after a sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs earlier this spring, fired Vogel on Thursday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN sources: The Phoenix Suns fired coach Frank Vogel. The Suns, who won 49 regular-season games with the third-highest payroll and taxes in the league, were swept in the first-round series against the Timberwolves. Mike Budenholzer will be a prominent part of the search. pic.twitter.com/SDTRkXxkrG
—Adrián Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 9, 2024
The ejection capped a disappointing season in which a Suns roster that added Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal the past two seasons finished sixth in the Western Conference before failing to secure a playoff victory. Vogel ended up in Phoenix after a single season produced a 49-33 record.
How will the Suns address roster issues?
The Suns sacrificed depth by rebuilding their roster around All-NBA guard Devin Booker. They traded key players, including Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, to the Brooklyn Nets, along with four first-round picks, to acquire Durant during the 2022-23 season. They traded Chris Paul and Landry Shamet last offseason to acquire Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.
The deals depleted Phoenix’s bench and left the Suns without a true point guard in the rotation. Instead, Booker and Beal, both primarily scoring guards, split time running the Suns’ offense.
The Suns also lack size up front outside of starting center Jusuf Nurkić. That lack of size was exposed against the bigger Timberwolves, who feature multiple All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns and Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid on their front line. The Timberwolves held a 46.3-32.5 advantage in rebounds per game over the Suns in their four-game series.
The hope in Phoenix was that the heavier roster would lead the Suns to contend for a championship. Instead, it has become clear that it is not designed to compete at the top of the Western Conference as designed.
Firing Vogel won’t solve those roster issues. It gives the Suns a starting point to make adjustments in the offseason.
Vogel is back on the job market after 19 seasons on the sidelines of the NBA as an assistant or head coach. He has spent his last 12 seasons in the NBA as a head coach, including previous stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers. He coached the Lakers to an NBA championship in the 2019-20 season.
The Suns, on the other hand, will now be looking for a third head coach in as many years.