The Phoenix Suns announced early Wednesday afternoon that they have hired Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott, marking a significant shift in Cleveland basketball ahead of what many anticipate will be a tumultuous offseason.
Ott began his career in Atlanta under the recently fired Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer. He later served as an assistant for the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2022, joined the Lakers in 2023 under Darvin Ham, and moved to Cleveland before the 2024 season.
Joining Cleveland’s staff turned out to be an excellent decision for Ott, as it likely played a key role in his appointment as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns, considering the Cavs’ impressive 64-win season and Ott’s substantial involvement in such a historic year.
The question Cavs fans are asking after such a successful regular season and an equally disappointing postseason is this: can they find success again without Ott?
Mat Ishbia
Feb 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia watches a game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
© Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Considering Ott’s impact under 2024 Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson, losing him could be quite significant. However, there are two reasons Cavs fans shouldn’t be overly concerned about how Cleveland plans to fill his role: first, the staff accompanying Ott is exceptionally talented, with head coach Kenny Atkinson consistently crediting multiple assistants for major lineup decisions throughout the year. Secondly, Suns fans have debated whether Ott’s hiring was based on his ability or merely due to his connections within the Suns organization, particularly with owner Mat Ishbia and general manager Brian Gregory.
Though this connection may seem incidental, it has become a central point of criticism. Ott, Ishbia, and Gregory all earned degrees from Michigan State University. While some might see this as mere coincidence, several individuals within the Suns’ organization have ties to the state of Michigan or MSU itself, as outlined below.
Ott’s coaching career isn’t particularly extensive, but his role in the Cavs’ successful 2024 season makes a strong case for his promotion. The situation surrounding general manager Brian Gregory, however, has raised even more questions.
Gregory earned his master’s degree from Michigan State University in 1992 and became an assistant coach for the Spartans’ basketball team in 1999, a position he held until 2003. Notably, MSU won a national championship in 2000 while Gregory was coaching the team. The interesting part? Mat Ishbia served as a backup point guard for that squad, a role he played from 1999 to 2002.
Gregory went on to serve as head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech, and most recently at South Florida, where he coached from 2017 to 2022. He was relieved of his duties as head coach in March 2022.
In June 2024, Gregory was hired as the vice president of player programming for the Phoenix Suns. Less than a year later, on May 10, 2025, he became the team’s general manager. His year-long tenure as vice president of player programming was his only experience in a front office role, frustrating Suns fans who sought someone with a stronger background in that position.
Ishbia and Gregory’s decision to hire Ott has only stoked that fire, provoking even more anger from fans, as seen below.
While hiring Ott and promoting Gregory may eventually pay off, both moves carry the weight of personal connections that many fans find difficult to overlook. For Cleveland, losing Ott is a setback, but with Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson and a strong group of assistants, the Cavs seem well-equipped to adapt.