Matt Ishbia prepares to meet with Suns coaching finalists
And then there were two.
The Phoenix Suns’ head coaching search has been long, deliberate, and at times, excruciating. It’s been 49 days since the organization parted ways with Mike Budenholzer, ending a tenure that lasted just one year into a five-year deal. Since then, the Suns have embarked on a sweeping and meticulous process, one that reportedly involved interviewing as many as 20 candidates.
Now, at last, they’ve narrowed the field. Two finalists remain. And fittingly, both come from the same bench.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Suns’ final round of consideration features Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant and assistant coach Jordan Ott. Two rising minds from the same staff, now vying to lead a team still searching for its identity.
The Phoenix Suns have narrowed their head coaching search to two finalists from the Cleveland Cavaliers, associate coach Johnnie Bryant and assistant Jordan Ott, sources tell ESPN. Both will meet with Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Michigan ahead of a hiring as soon as later this week. pic.twitter.com/6JSG8EiuaU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 2, 2025
Johnnie Bryant has served as the associate head coach under Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland for just one season, but his résumé runs deep. From 2021 to 2024, he held the same title with the New York Knicks under Tom Thibodeau, and before that, he spent eight years on the Utah Jazz bench, steadily rising through the ranks. His reputation as a player-development guru and a calm presence in intense markets has made him a name to watch in coaching circles.
Jordan Ott, meanwhile, brings a similarly winding path. He also just completed his first year in Cleveland, but his coaching roots stretch back further. Ott was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2022 to 2024 under Darvin Ham, after spending six seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. His NBA journey began in 2013 as a video coordinator under none other than Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta. He also has ties to Michigan State, a program known for producing disciplined, detail-oriented basketball minds, and the alma mater of Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia.
Both Bryant and Ott were part of a Cavaliers staff that oversaw 64 wins this past season.
According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, the decision in Phoenix is expected soon. Both finalists will meet with team governor Mat Ishbia this week as the franchise looks to close the book on its extended coaching search.
This is the week. The Phoenix Suns will have a decision about their next head coach by the end of this week.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) June 2, 2025
A new chapter is about to begin.
It’s worth noting that both coaching finalists are currently employed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team owned by Dan Gilbert, a longtime rival of Suns governor Mat Ishbia in the mortgage world. Ishbia helms United Wholesale Mortgage. Gilbert co-founded Rocket Mortgage. Their corporate feud is well documented, and there’s no love lost between the two power brokers. Now, with Ishbia poised to potentially pluck a coach from Gilbert’s staff, the rivalry takes on a new dimension, one that stretches beyond the boardroom and onto the hardwood.
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