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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
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Michael McDaniel

Suns Fire Head Coach Mike Budenholzer After One Season

The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after one season. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after one season, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.

The departure of Budenholzer was widely anticipated after the Suns clocked a very disappointing season in Budenholzer's only year at the helm. The Suns missed the playoffs outright after many expected the franchise to - at the very least - contend for one of the top six spots in the West and avoid the play-in tournament.

However, the Suns battled injury woes throughout the year once again, with Bradley Beal struggling to stay healthy and Kevin Durant suffering a late-season ankle sprain in the midst of a final playoff push. The end result was the Suns going 36-46 and finishing 11th in the West.

A significant offseason awaits, with a Durant trade on the table after he was dangled at the deadline. Durant was nearly dealt back to the Golden State Warriors, but he nixed the trade thanks to his no-trade clause to finish the season in Phoenix.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Suns Fire Head Coach Mike Budenholzer After One Season.

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