Suns narrow coaching search to Cavs’ assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott

The Phoenix Suns have whittled their coaching search down to two candidates, with Cleveland Cavaliers assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott making the cut, a person familiar with the search confirmed on Monday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the news has not been officially announced by the team. ESPN first reported that Bryant and Ott were the two finalists.

The Suns are looking for their fourth coach in four seasons after firing Mike Budenholzer following a miserable 36-46 season that ended without a trip to the playoffs. 

Bryant and Ott are expected to meet with Suns management later this week.

The 39-year-old Bryant has been in the NBA for more than a decade as an assistant with the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks before joining the Cavaliers as associate head coach in 2024. He played in college at Utah.

The 40-year-old Ott has worked for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers. He also worked as a video coordinator under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, which is where Suns owner Mat Ishbia played as a walk-on from 1999 to 2003.

Whoever ends up with the job will be inheriting a roster that very well might be without its star current, Kevin Durant. The Suns wanted to trade Durant at the deadline to the Golden State Warriors, but Durant rejected the move and its premise. 

As the 17-year veteran said at the time, “As far as the Warriors, I didn’t want to move. Then, as a player, I cost a lot. Me going into your team in the middle of your season, it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going to. And I get why you want to trade me, simple fact that’s business but for me looking at it, it just don’t make sense for either side right now to go through that when we can play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason, then we figure it out.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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