The Phoenix Suns officially announced Jordan Ott as their new head coach on Tuesday - and although we're a long way from the team actually playing a game - it was hard not to feel optimistic about what this new direction can bring with it. Ott is a first time head coach, and will bring with him fresh ideas not seen when Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer were at the helm.
Kevin Durant isn't likely to stick around and see how this experience plays out - and while there are sure to be bumps in the road - the hope now is that Ott can grow alongside Devin Booker to bring the Suns closer to contention once more. That run to the 2021 NBA Finals feeling like a dream despite only being four short years ago.
Plight of New York Knicks prove Suns were right to pounce on Ott.
Another organization not having a good time with their own coaching search right now are the New York Knicks. Despite Tom Thibodeau bringing them all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals - where they were dispatched by an Indiana Pacers group that just doesn't know when to quit - he was given his marching orders almost as soon as their season ended.
Thibodeau would have been an interesting assistant option in The Valley, but that's not going to happen. Ott has already picked DeMarre Carroll to join him, the pair most recently working together last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers as assistants.
The New York Knicks requested permission Wednesday morning to speak to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd – and Dallas gave a firm rejection, sources tell ESPN. Knicks have been denied now on Kidd, Minnesota's Chris Finch and Houston's Ime Udoka.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 11, 2025
The Knicks have been struggling mightily to speak to prospective new head coaches since firing Thibodeau, which only highlights more that the Suns were both right to sign up Ott when they did, and also go for a first time leading man. Just look at that list above from Shams Charania of ESPN, and you can understand why the Suns would be thankful they've gotten Ott when they did.
Whatever your thoughts on Jason Kidd - and it is unclear how happy Suns fans would have been had he ended up in Phoenix - there is no doubt Chris Finch and Ime Udoka are two of the best coaches in the league. Charania also went on to mention that the Atlanta Hawks rebuffed the advances of the Knicks for their head coach Quinn Snyder, another excellent mind you would want on your sideline.
All of which is to say - not only were the Suns right to target Ott - he might have been among the best candidates left to choose from anyway. It's gotten so bad for the Knicks right now that names such as Vogel and Budenholzer are being mentioned as potential fits, but we all know how that is going to end if that somehow happens.
Thank you, New York. pic.twitter.com/bKpZlBEgux
— Tom Thibodeau (@thibodeau_96709) June 11, 2025
Even the Suns' own candidates for their job weren't safe from links to the Knicks, with fellow finalist Johnnie Bryant an obvious choice for New York once Thibodeau was canned. He has links to that franchise - and had the Suns actually proceeded with him - there's every chance the Knicks would have tried to turn his head late in the process.
The Suns then did the right thing in going down the Orlando Magic route on this one. They hired a first time head coach in Jamahl Mosley, and over the last several seasons he has created a defensive identity as that team has steadily improved. If Ott can do the same - avoiding a complete rebuild in the process - it will be further proof he was the right hire and that the Knicks overreacted.