Mike Muscala was out of the NBA sphere for a year, but he’s now back. The big man will join the Suns and Jordan Ott’s staff as an assistant coach, per HoopsHype. Ott and Muscala have overlap from their Atlanta days from 2013-16.
Muscala played 11 seasons in the NBA before announcing his retirement last summer. He was picked 44th overall in the 2013 draft and played in a career 548 games, including 45 starts. Muscala played for the Hawks, 76ers, Lakers, Thunder, Wizards, Pistons and Celtics during his time in the league.
The big man came to Boston via trade at the deadline during the 2023-24 season. He provided some depth as the Celtics were in the title contention mode and still searching for Banner No. 18. Muscala played in 20 games (four starts) for the Celtics, averaging 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds. He was eventually included in the three-team trade that landed Kristaps Porzingis for Boston.
The Suns are in transition mode with another new head coach in Ott. Phoenix was looking to be competitive the past few seasons with an expensive luxury tax bill, but the Suns were never truly in title contention. So, they elected to reset by hiring Ott and trading away Kevin Durant, among other offseason moves.
Ott gets his first head-coaching position of his career after spending years as an assistant working his way up. Muscala gets his first coaching gig as the ex-forward will get a chance at a new career path.
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