Getty Head coach Nick Nurse
Following Monty Williams’ firing, the Phoenix Suns compiled a list of candidates to fill their head coaching vacancy. One of the most prominent candidates was former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, who led the team to their first title in franchise history over the Golden State Warriors in 2019.
After weighing his options, Nurse passed up the opportunity to be the Suns’ next head coach. According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Nurse reached a deal to become the next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers on May 29.
“Nick Nurse has reached an agreement to become the next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers,” Wojnarowski tweeted on May 29. “Nurse — who won an NBA championship and a coach of the year award with Toronto — now gets to coach the 2023 MVP Joel Embiid.”
ESPN Sources: Nick Nurse has reached an agreement to become the next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Nurse — who won an NBA championship and a coach of year award with Toronto — now gets to coach the 2023 MVP Joel Embiid.
Monty Williams Not Expected to Coach Next Season
After being eliminated in the second round of the NBA playoffs by the Denver Nuggets, the Suns cut ties with former head coach Monty Williams. The decision to part ways with Williams came as a surprise to many people. He is one of the most respected coaches in the NBA and had been successful during his stint in Phoenix. He had a record of 194-115 and led the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since the Charles Barkley era in 2021.
Williams took a non-contending Suns team and turned them into a legitimate title threat within two seasons. After seeing the culture shift that has taken place in Phoenix, Williams has become the hottest-name free agent on the coaching market. And while several teams have expressed interest in his services, Williams is not expected to be back on the sideline in the fall, according to Jake L. Fischer of Bleacher Report.
“Many around the league expected Williams would draw strong consideration from Milwaukee after he was terminated in Phoenix, and there were numerous figures in the NBA’s coaching ranks who expressed surprise at his absence from the Bucks’ final group,” Fischer writes.
“Williams was also recently pursued by Detroit for the Pistons’ job, sources said, which must have factored into a slowed result between Lee, Collins, and Ollie. At this moment, it appears Williams is more likely to take the next season off, with three years and $21 million remaining on his Suns deal than to return to the sidelines in a new situation.”
Suns Assistant Gets Endorsement From Devin Booker
With Nurse officially off the market, the Suns are running out of options for who will hold the reins to the franchise next season. The top two names in the coaching free agent pool are Doc Rivers and Mike Budenholzer, who both have championship experience.
But another name that has come up is already a member of the organization. That would be Kevin Young, who has served as an associate head coach for the franchise since the 2021 season. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Suns’ star shooting guard Devin Booker has championed for Young to take over the head coaching duties.
“Word is Young, who has also interviewed for the head coaching vacancies in Milwaukee and Toronto, has received a strong endorsement from Suns star Devin Booker,” Stein wrote.