Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney remains in contention for the Phoenix Suns head coach position, which was left vacant after Mike Budenholzer and the Suns parted ways at the conclusion of the regular season. Last week we wrote on this topic when Sweeney was among eight candidates that made it to the second round of cuts for the position. Since that time, the Suns have apparently whittled the list down to five potential hires: Sweeney, Jordan Ott, Johnnie Bryant, Chris Quinn and Dave Bliss. Interestingly, Chirs Quinn was not on the original list of eight, but current reports suggest he’s in the running at this point.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports recently reported that four of the five, including Sweeney, have been interviewed as expected. Dave Bliss remains the only holdout, but not for lack of a very good reason — he has the NBA Finals to think about as an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Phoenix Suns have completed in-person interviews with Sean Sweeney, Jordan Ott, Johnnie Bryant and Chris Quinn. Dave Bliss and the Thunder are still in the playoffs, so an in-person has not happened as of now.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 30, 2025
Another interesting wrinkle now being reported is that Suns’ star Devin Booker is being brought into the decision making process. It seems like an eternity since the Mavs and Suns had all the makings of a bitter rivalry, and one team picking up a coach from the other team would have added a measure of fuel to that fire. Oddly, that rivalry is no more, as the Suns are coming off a disappointing season and are likely moving on from Kevin Durant and/or Bradley Beal, while the Mavericks’ roster looks very different as well. Whether the history between the teams plays into the head coaching decision is anyone’s guess at this point, but rumors are beginning which suggest a decision made by as soon as next week. Seeing as that timeframe lands firmly during the NBA Finals, it’s curious to believe that will be the case given Bliss’ aforementioned obligations, but either way, it won’t be long until we know if Sweeney will be heading elsewhere for next season.
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