PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns' immediate and distant future is anybody's guess after a tumultuous season in the desert, which has seen nothing but drama and unfillfed expectations.
There's a variety of reasons as to why the Suns have underperformed, though all conversations in the world of sports begin and end with the head coach - fair or not.
Mike Budenholzer was brought to the Valley in hopes of making good on his NBA Finals resume with an improved bench and star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in Phoenix.
That hasn't come close to happening, and Budenholzer (who is Phoenix's third coach in as many years following Monty Williams and Frank Vogel) could suffer a similar fate to his predecessors.
From NBA insider Marc Stein:
"But it certainly does raise eyebrows that Frank Vogel was given a five-year contract and dismissed after one season. Then they hire Budenholzer to a five-year contract, and we’re not even at the end of Year 1, and in coaching circles, the whispers are already starting," Stein said (h/t HoopsHype).
"My good friend Chris Haynes, my longtime podcast partner, had the report last week about Budenholzer telling Devin Booker to be less vocal—and how that shocked Booker. So, it’s like… the stream of headlines that have come out of Phoenix this season—it’s just wild."
Phoenix's locker room has previously been described as toxic under Budenholzer, and trying to trade Beal/Durant while clearly agitating Booker isn't exactly a recipe for success.
The pockets of Suns owner Mat Ishbia run deep - we'll see if Phoenix wants to take on another coaching contract and start anew.
There's 20 games left in the season for the Suns - here's how their most recent win impacted their play-in chances.