Boy, the Suns sure do love talking to Charlotte about things.
The Phoenix Suns’ coaching search rolls on, and while patience is often preached this time of year, it’s clear the front office is casting a wide net. And dragging it slowly across the ocean floor. With the hire expected in late May or early June, the organization appears intent on exhausting every possibility. Word is that somewhere between 15 to 20 candidates have either been interviewed or are on the docket.
No stone is being left unturned. And some of the stones are…curious.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, one of the names in the mix is Josh Longstaff, an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets.
Sources: Hornets assistant Josh Longstaff is among the candidates for the Suns head coaching job. He was an assistant for Bulls coach Billy Donovan, former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, Team USA for Jeff Van Gundy, Erie BayHawks head coach, a Knicks assistant, and worked for OKC.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 15, 2025
That’s right. The Hornets. “The very image of sustained success and stability,” Voita said with a Monster energy drink in one hand and a pocket full of sarcasm in his pocket. Has Voita gone third person?! What is happening??
There is a connection between Charlotte and Phoenix that can’t be ignored. Every trade the Suns made at the deadline last season had Charlotte’s fingerprints on it. Two separate deals. Two separate paths crossing. So if Josh Longstaff were to land in Phoenix, odds are he’d walk into a room with more than a few familiar faces.
“Hey, what up Nick!”
Longstaff’s journey through the league reads like a grind-it-out résumé, built on the back end of benches and behind the curtain of player development. He started as a player personnel video coordinator in Oklahoma City, gradually climbing into the roles of video analyst and player development coach. He spent three seasons with the Knicks, where he worked closely with Kristaps Porziņģis during the Latvian’s early years. After that came a stint as head coach of the G League’s Erie BayHawks, followed by a move to Milwaukee to join Mike Budenholzer’s staff. He left just before the Bucks won a championship. His next stop? Four seasons with the middling Bulls. Then, one year ago, he joined Charlotte, another team still trying to find its footing.
It’s hard not to notice the trend.
Longstaff has been part of a lot of…projects. Teams that haven’t found the formula. That doesn’t mean he’s the problem, of course. No assistant coach carries the fate of an entire franchise. But when we talk about alignment, vision, and identity — about what a coach can imprint onto a team — you naturally start to wonder: what, exactly, is Longstaff’s brand? What would he bring to the table in Phoenix? Would it be something bold and new, or more of the same?
Odds are he’d be a good “yes man”, which is what the Suns are most likely looking for.
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