Reports: Monty Williams “Dismissed” by Phoenix Suns

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Phoenix Suns “dismissed” head coach Monty Williams on Saturday.

BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns dismissed coach Monty Williams, sources tell ESPN. Williams was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year in four seasons with Suns — including a trip to 2021 NBA Finals. Suns lost 6-game series to Nuggets in Western Semifinals. pic.twitter.com/bfMd6F1RJc

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 14, 2023

Williams held a 194-115 record over four seasons with the Suns. Phoenix won a combined 199 games in the seven seasons prior to his tenure, which included a run to the 2021 NBA Finals and a Coach of the Year nod in 2022.

The Suns had back-t0-back postseason elimination losses the past two years to the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets by a combined 58 points. 

Williams left the Suns job better than he found it. But Phoenix struggled to close out series dating back to the 2021 Finals. That has been a pattern critics may point to as a shortcoming of the head coach. On the other hand, Williams was the winningest head coach in the NBA since 2021.

With Mat Ishbia running the franchise, the Suns should be one of the most attractive jobs in the NBA. It’s also been an offseason of teams moving on from high-profile coaches with the Toronto Raptors moving on from Nick Nurse and the Bucks firing Arizona native Mike Budenholzer, both of whom have won NBA championships, earlier in the offseason.