The 2024–25 Phoenix Suns season was the 57th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as their 32nd season at the PHX Arena, formerly known as the Footprint Center until the arena's namesake expired on February 18, 2025 during a road trip in the season. It was also their second full season under the ownership group led by Mat Ishbia and Justin Ishbia after the brothers purchased the team on February 8, 2023, and their second and final season with their "Big Three" superteam of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal together. This was their second season in a row with a new head coach taking over since Monty Williams' firing following the announcement of Frank Vogel's firing on May 9, 2024, this time having 2021 NBA Finals champion coach Mike Budenholzer taking over as the new head coach two days later. This is also their first season since the 2019–20 season where the Suns would properly utilize the NBA G League again with their own squad (this time, the Valley Suns) after previously selling the Northern Arizona Suns to the Detroit Pistons during that season's suspension/reinstatement period and subsequently shutting down that G League team for the following season afterward in a move unrelated to their sale, thus marking the first time where every NBA team would utilize their own G League affiliate during a season. Entering this season, the Suns looked to enter the playoffs for the fifth straight season after previously missing the playoffs for a decade straight and at least improve upon their first round sweeping exit from the last postseason after failing to improve upon their previous season's record.
Before training camp began, on September 21, 2024, long-time broadcaster Al McCoy would pass away peacefully at 91 years old, with his final public appearance being when he helped introduce coach Mike Budenholzer to the public. On September 30, the day training camp began for the Suns, owner Mat Ishbia announced the Suns would dedicate this season to Al McCoy, with them wearing a black patch with the word "Al" written on it on their jerseys for every game this season. For their season opener, the Suns would spoil the new arena home opener of Intuit Dome for the Los Angeles Clippers in a tense 116–113 overtime win. In only six games, the Suns would already best their 10 game mark from last season with a 5–1 record. However, an injury to Kevin Durant (and a later injury to Bradley Beal) would delay them getting their 10th win of the season until November 26 against the Los Angeles Lakers after starting the season out with a 8–1 and then 9–2 record. By the 20 game mark of the season, the Suns would tie their mark from last season with a 12–8 record. On December 16, 2024, "The Original Sun" Dick Van Arsdale would pass away at 81 years old to kidney failure. By the end of 2024, the Suns would see themselves with a worse record entering 2025 than by that same point last season at 15–17. In the aftermath to their first game in 2025, the team made a significant change to their starting line-up by moving shooting guard Bradley Beal to the bench (akin to his more natural shooting guard role) for small forward Ryan Dunn and placing center Jusuf Nurkić on the bench (while later not playing him altogether) for Mason Plumlee, with rookie center/power forward Oso Ighodaro also receiving more playing time as well. This change would help get the team back to an average record again on January 12. They would maintain an above-average record again by the halfway point of the season six days later on January 18, just days after trading for center Nick Richards. However, after appearing to get things back on track by the end of January with a 10-5 month, chaos would unfold upon the team once again by February. Repeated failures to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat included the rumored inclusion of Kevin Durant being exchanged in the package -instead of Bradley Beal) - in a would-be reunion with the Golden State Warriors. Josh Okogie and Jusuf Nurkić would ultimately be traded to the Charlotte Hornets in separate deals in order to gain draft future draft flexibility. Coach Mike Budenholzer was perceived to have lost control of his roster during a 3-10 stretch in February. Following a 149-141 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 7, the Suns would fail to improve upon the previous season's overall record. On April 9, the Suns were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2020. They were the last team in either conference to be eliminated following their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On April 14, one day following the conclusion of their regular season, head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired from his position following the team's disappointing season. He was eventually replaced by Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott months later in June. It was the fourth time in the last seven years dating back to 2018 that a Suns coach did not continue into their 2nd season including Vogel, Igor Kokoskov, and Jay Triano.
With the seven-team megadeal proposed to send Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets official on July 6 - alongside the intention to potentially buyout Bradley Beal's contract - it was considered the end of the Suns' failed "superteam" experiment.
Off-season Draft
Round Pick Player Position(s) Nationality College / Club 1 28 Ryan Dunn SF/PF United States Virginia 2 40 Oso Ighodaro C/PF United States Marquette The Suns entered this draft period (which would last for two days instead of just one day like it was ever since the NBA draft was only two rounds long back in 1989) with only their own first-round pick (that was made 22nd after a tiebreaker with two other teams with the same record as them and that they also kept as their own pick following multiple trades revolving around a first-round pick swap that they made last season) after also trading away their own second-round pick this year as a part of their massive Bradley Beal trade from last season. They also originally had a second-round pick that was from the Denver Nuggets (which would have been made late into the second-round) that they acquired from the Orlando Magic the previous season, but that pick was ultimately vacated from them early on into that season after the NBA discovered the Suns had engaged in conversations with then-Portland Trail Blazers center Drew Eubanks before that season's free agency period officially began. They also held draft rights to the San Antonio Spurs' second-round pick as well had it fallen into a certain condition due to a previous trade involving Cameron Payne, but that pick would not be conveyed to them due to the Spurs performing far below expectations of that draft pick's range limitations. On the first night of the 2024 NBA draft, the Suns traded their only pick they had at the time (which became Dayton power forward DaRon Holmes II) to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for their 28th pick in the draft (which became Virginia forward Ryan Dunn), their 56th pick in the draft (which became Kansas shooting guard Kevin McCullar Jr.), and two future second round picks in 2026 and 2031. On the second day of the draft, the Suns would later trade Kevin McCullar Jr., the 56th pick, and the Boston Celtics' protected 2028 second round pick to the New York Knicks in exchange for the 40th pick in the draft (which became the Arizona born and raised Marquette power forward/center Oso Ighodaro).
Coaching changes On April 16, 2024, assistant coach Kevin Young was hired as a head coach for Brigham Young University's men's basketball team (though he would stay for the team's brief 2024 playoff run) after their previous coach, Mark Pope, left BYU to be the new head coach for the University of Kentucky, replacing John Calipari there after he left them for the University of Arkansas. Young had previous hints of leaving for a head coaching position with him being considered a serious candidate for the head coach position for both the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets before being hired by BYU. He was also the highest paid assistant coach at the time of his departure. On May 9, following weeks of deliberation after a disappointing first round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA playoffs, the Suns decided to fire head coach Frank Vogel after finishing only one season of his five-year, $31 million deal that he had originally signed with the team. Unlike the previous season's coaching search where it was an extensive one, the Suns would only look at a select few candidates to replace Vogel's position, with Holbrook, Arizona native Mike Budenholzer (the head coach won the 2021 NBA Finals over the Suns) being considered a prominent part of their new head coach search before ultimately getting the position two days later with a five-year deal worth $50 million. Vogel would later be hired as a coaching consultant for Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks.
Following Budenholzer's hiring, the Suns later announced that none of Vogel's assistant coaches from last season would initially be retained for the new coaching staff led by Budenholzer this season. However, after an attempt to promote David Fizdale into a front office position later in the month instead, he was reported to return to his role as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns on May 29. The Suns would also look to hire Vince Legarza, a former assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, on May 28 (with Legarza also taking on the head coach role for the Suns' Summer League team). On May 30, Utah Jazz assistant coach Chad Forcier would be named the next addition to the Phoenix Suns' coaching staff. A day after that, on May 31, former Wisconsin Herd head coach Chaisson Allen would be the next assistant coach to be hired onto Budenholzer's new staff. On June 11, the former University of Washington basketball coach Mike Hopkins would be reported as the next hiring for Budenholzer's coaching staff. Over a month later, on July 23, Brent Barry, the San Antonio Spurs' Vice President of Basketball Operations, was reported to be the most recent hiring for Budenholzer's coaching staff. A day after that, former Washington Wizards assistant coach James Posey would take on one of the open assistant coach spots for the team. Finally, the Suns would announce their official coaching staff joining alongside Mike Budenholzer on August 6, with the last addition being former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Schuyler Rimmer.
Front office changes In addition to coaching staff changes, the Suns also expressed interest in modifying their front office up a bit as well. Initially, assistant coach David Fizdale was offered a front office position with the team on May 12, 2024, following an initial firing from Frank Vogel's coaching staff, but he ultimately denied the job promotion in favor of staying with the Suns as an assistant coach for Mike Budenholzer's staff. Five days after trying to get Fizdale into a front office role, it was reported that the Suns would offer former Long Island Nets general manager and then-current Brooklyn Nets vice president of strategy member Matt Tellem (son of famous sports agent Arn Tellem) a key spot on their new front office instead. Matt Tellem would eventually be announced as a new assistant general manager for the Suns (with both Trevor Bukstein (who had previously been a part of their staff since 2013) and Morgan Cato being confirmed to not return to the front office as of May 21) on June 10, with former University of South Florida basketball coach Brian Gregory being named the vice president of player programming alongside the hiring of Tellem. Over a month later, on July 19, assistant general manager Gerald Madkins, personnel evaluation manager David Sevush, and team scouts Charles Payne and Darrel Johnson were announced to not return to the team's front office.
Free agency and Trades